Oh, Matthew McConaughey, how we lusted after you in your early years, your ass in those tight jeans in "Time To Kill" and even before that in "Lone Star" when you were the not-good guy. Then you had some small roles in good movies and then some big roles in bad movies. We gave up on you, basically. But wait! You were great in "Lincoln Lawyer" and then it seemed you made a right turn and you are back making good movies.
"Mud" is one of those good movies. Odd title, but hey, we can overlook that. OK, moving back to third person, non general: see this movie. I just watched it on DVD from the library and it's a good film. It won't blow your socks off but 100% good. The kids are reminiscent of kids like River Phoenix in "Stand By Me" and they are as good as River ever was. Matthew Mc (his last name is too hard to keep typing) is so much a presence and at the same time so down-played as to make you almost forget he's there until he is there again. But of course, that's just the first hour. In the second half everything gets more intense and you can't walk away. There are overlapping story lines about lies and truth and growing up and giving up and, bottom line, about life.
Remember when we were all in our mid 30's, how great we looked (even if we don't remember, we see photos and think "fuck, if I had only known I was that cute, my life could/would have been so different") and we have proof of that in Sam Shepard. One of my favorites, not just for his 30-year old face (can we say sexy?) but for his writing as well (can we say sexy?) In this movie his role is small but he looks like all of us over 60 look: much older. Maybe in real life he looks a little less old, but maybe in real life we do, too. Maybe not. However, he is so fine in the small part he plays.
So, who knew? "Mud" is good, very good. Good story line, really good characters, not a bad beginning and not a bad ending. What more can you want? B+ from me. A movie worth renting. Do it and tell me what you think.
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