Mud

Mud 
Overall rating: 4.5 stars

Compelling, sweet and suitably earthy, Mud is heartfelt and features a great cast, with Matthew McConaughey leading the way with another strong performance, and sees director Jeff Nichols as a talent to watch.

Mud tells the story of Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Sam Shepherd), two adventurous kids who, upon meeting Mud (Matthew McConaughey) are compelled to help him find the woman he loves, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). It's a rather sweet little feature, understated and quirky; far from the most mainstream film released this year. It combines a simple story with some complex characters, in particular the title character, who remains relatively unexplained - narratively at least - throughout. Besides the fact that he's on the run for murdering a man, there's little else to Mud's back story, which, in a bizarre way makes him all the more appealing to root for. He doesn't come in the shape of the standard movie murderer: he's sweet, relatively pitiful and has good intentions. Of course, this intricacy is much easier to understand when you watch the film. McConaughey imbues the character with both strength and vulnerability. It is truly Mud's story which carries the film, not Ellis's romance sub-plot - which, whilst heartwarming, is brief. However, that whole affair is crucial to show the audience that Mud is in fact a good guy. I won't go into detail, but the final few shots are rewarding to the audience, especially the last.

I was never moved a great amount during the film, despite the strong cast, but I found myself smiling at the end. It certainly isn't an ending where I thought "wow, what a film" but I was satisfied and slightly touched. It's nothing that's going to set the world alight, but one of those films you could watch on a Sunday afternoon, smile at the end and consider it an afternoon well-spent.

Ultimately, Mud is fresh. Rarely do I find myself satisfied with the ending of a film as much as this. It wasn't clichéd, mysterious, explosive or particularly shocking, but it just felt right.

What more could I ask for?