"Mud" is a Good Ole, Sleepy Little Southern Yarn

There's a mysterious man who only speaks in folksy platitudes and goes simply by the name Mud (Matthew Mcconaughey). He's a cuddly, warm, charming enigma that two young Bayou boys stumble upon on a deserted island. Soon the boys are bringing him food and taking in mentoring from him. It doesn't get too much more complicated than that in Mud, which has a tremendous amount of faith, affection and understanding for people in spite of the things they may have done. The film undercuts the mentoring business a bit by having Mud be a little less of the infallible wisdom deliverer he initially appears to be. It's nice to see this but the film is otherwise fairly straightforward. The boys meet Mud, one, Ellis (Tye Sheridan), is trusting, the other, Neckbone (Jacob Lofland), is more doubtful; they teach eachother things and learn things and grow as people. Ellis discovers that the world isn't as idyllic as he had built up in his head.

The film is lazy and languorous; occasionally the tension ratchets up (particularly at the end, which feels somewhat out of place in the film despite how exciting it is) but it's largely slow to the drawl. Mud is hopelessly in love with a woman (Reese Witherspoon), who keeps straying from him; he bides his time on the island waiting for a time to reunite with her. He can't leave due to extenuating circumstances (ones that would make the less sympathetic turn on this man) and requires the boys help. Much of their time is spent helping Mud build a boat so that he can get out into open waters away from legal concerns and prying eyes.

Mcconaughey continues his turn towards work that bucks our expectations of what the actor is capable of. His pseudo-spiritual, one with nature persona is totally fitting for the part, and his utter sincerity helps along the part (We believe and like Mud just as much as the boys because he's so damn affable and seemingly harmless).

Lying in the film's background are issues over how our parents, and parental figures, raise us (or fail to). Ellis' parents (Ray McKinnon, Sarah Paulson) are on the rocks and all but ready to get divorced. Neckbone doesn't know his parents and is raised by his uncle (Michael Shannon). Mud had a similar upbringing; raised by an adopted father Tom Blankenship (Sam Shephard), who just happens live on the opposite side of the river from Ellis. Mud ends up filling the role of E.T.-like figure, dropping into Ellis' life just as he needs him and going away right when Ellis comes to accept the saddening and disappointing way things are in his life.

Mud is a warm, good-hearted, inviting film. It strikes a surprisingly workable balance between crime drama and family entertainment (though its sharper than your typical family film) -- at least until the end where it falls apart for a time. Though its gender politics are questionable (It's a little too reductive and one-note with its female characters), the feel for the locale, the assurance in its characters and lazily getting where it needs to go make it pleasing to watch. 

Grade: B