The Movie Mud
Josh and I love to see movies together; however, we tend to lean in close and whisper commentary throughout a film. We try not to be a disturbance to other viewers, but I can see how we would be annoying as film goers.
Jeff Nichols's movie Mud was especially difficult to not feel a little restless and chatty since it was so long. Although, the length is no discredit to how great the film was. I blame myself for a short comfort span. The film proved to be powerful from beginning to end.
The movie was full of heart without being sentimental or saccharine. I was appreciative to see a movie with such a positive ending, which seems to stand out against the often bleak endings of many recent films. (I'm not referring to just any films, mainly more artistic films, which is also a vague term, but I could write a whole post on trying to define it. So, for this post, let's assume that I'm talking about literary-like movies.) Still, it managed to expose the small Arkansas town with a lot of care and authenticity.
The movie seemed to follow a full circle--where the characters end up where they started, but this time everything has changed for them. I really like this idea because this tends to reflect reality. We start out somewhere, our innocence is taken, people die, and things change, but we somehow end up facing the same events sometimes in the same place. However, all those experiences have hopefully given us new meaning or different skills to work with.
I also loved that one of the main characters, Ellis, was driven by the idea of love. He might be 14, but he sees that love, even failed love, is worth investigating. He sees how others around him are giving up on love, but he maintains the belief that humans are truly at their best when they act with love. This notion isn't written enough in movies, especially in this form. He is a romantic--in the sense that he believes there is more to life than the scientific reaction of events. Death, divorce, and violence don't stop him from keeping hope and seeing the good in people.
I also loved that one of the main characters, Ellis, was driven by the idea of love. He might be 14, but he sees that love, even failed love, is worth investigating. He sees how others around him are giving up on love, but he maintains the belief that humans are truly at their best when they act with love. This notion isn't written enough in movies, especially in this form. He is a romantic--in the sense that he believes there is more to life than the scientific reaction of events. Death, divorce, and violence don't stop him from keeping hope and seeing the good in people.
The point of view in which the movie was told was possibly one of its strongest aspects. We are introduced to the main character "Mud" through two young boys, mainly Ellis. Mud's story is told through Ellis which allows us to see him from innocent and objective eyes. If the film were told from Mud's eyes, we would all probably feel uncomfortable and hesitant that a man in the woods is using two boys to get what he needs. With the outside perspective of Ellis and Neckbone, we are able to approach Mud's sad, maybe a little pathetic, life story and sustain our judgment long enough to get to know him. This way we care for him more, and we want him to succeed.
This film is definitely one of my new favorites. I'd even see it again.
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