海角大神

Mud听centers on a young boy named Ellis (Tye Sheridan), an Arkansas river-rat who spends his days exploring local waters with his river-rat friend, 鈥淣eckbone鈥� (Jacob Lofland). One day, the boys鈥� curiosity leads them to a little island rock where they happen upon a boat washed up into a tree. That same boat also happens to be the temporary hideout of a drifter named Mud (Matthew McConaughey), who aks the boys for help.

Ellis and Neckbone quickly learn that Mud is wrapped up in a sordid mess involving his longtime love, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), the law, and a posse of Texans looking for some payback. But even while Ellis is experiencing some life challenges of his own (at home or in the matters of teenage love), his fascination with Mud and Juniper鈥檚 tragic romance could lead to him sharing in their peril.

The latest brainchild of writer/director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter),听Mud听is an earnest rumination on love and change, set against a unique backdrop (backwater Arkansas) and populated with a series of very well-drawn characters. Unfortunately, the film is also overblown and scattered in its telling, sacrificing some of the story鈥檚 thematic and narrative potency along the way.

Nichols, as a director, is fantastic in creating the world of the film.听Mud听engages a niche seldom explored on film (the dying breed of backwater river folk), and makes it into a visually captivating and fully-realized cinematic world. In fact, the first half of the film (chronicling Ellis and Neckbone鈥檚 meeting and bonding with Mud) has an almost dreamlike quality to its听gorgeous听iconography and mise-en-scene composition.

While the tone of the film changes in the second portion (from dreamy ideals to stark realities), many sequences and shots still carry that slightly surreal aesthetic, which heightens the intrigue and beauty of this gritty working-class limbo; even more so than his other films, Mud听showcases Nichols as a sharp and artistic visual storyteller. There is also a wonderful subtext of dread running throughout the film, foreshadowing a lot of the narrative and thematic points we (eventually) arrive at. Nothing in Ellis鈥� world feels quite safe or stable 鈥� which adds even more intrigue and tension to early sequences when he is still feeling out his mysterious new drifter acquaintance.

On the scripting side of things, Nichols is effective at creating a cast of well-rounded and interesting characters (played by good actors), but is not as effective at steering these respective characters to their ultimate destination in a timely or efficient manner. There is a repetitive and episodic progression to the story, and not all of the players and/or moments are as crucial as the story seems to think they are.

It takes a long time to get past some basic (and superficial) mysteries, which only reveal new (but predictable) trajectories for the respective characters. Speaking of characters: there are too many. Nichols certainly has a talent for writing three-dimensional, non-stereotypical personalities (anywhere on the good/bad spectrum), but Mud听too often indulges where it doesn鈥檛 need to, pulling the viewer off onto fruitless tangents. At 130 minutes, the movie feels about 40 minutes bloated 鈥� weighing down what is otherwise a very tight and richly-layered narrative.

Characters like Neckbone鈥檚 uncle/guardian Galen (Michael Shannon) or Mud鈥檚 parent figure/guardian, Tom (Sam Shepard), are given considerable screen time 鈥� yet their characters鈥� relevance is听periphery听at best. By contrast, secondary characters like Ellis鈥� parents (Ray McKinnon and Sarah Paulson) actually do have relevance, but still feel somewhat extraneous in their juxtaposition to the main narrative.听Character actors like Joe Don Baker (Goldeneye) and Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire) show up for literally one or two moments of any significance 鈥� even though they are supposed to be the main threat that drives the central plot.

Even Juniper amounts to little more than a plot device. Though Witherspoon turns in an impressively drab performance (as opposed to her usual cutesy persona), 鈥淛une鈥� is just another addition to the story that we never have time to really delve into. The same could be argued for Mud, a character so mysterious and ethereal that at first he hardly seems real.听McConaughey continues his trend of smart role choices and delivers a great performance 鈥� balancing Mud in a tricky space between likability and听menace听- but again, there is more implied about the character and his complexity than the film actually explores.

What really holds听Mud听together are the central performances by young Tye Sheridan and debut actor Jacob Lofland. From the onset, the film establishes that these are not your stereotypical backwater hick teens, and the rest of the film certainly supports that, investing in exploring the depth and complexity of the two young men as they (primary Ellis) are coming of age in a most unorthodox way.

Sheridan is extremely impressive, with a face and eyes that house sharp intelligence and self-awareness when it comes to playing a scene. By contrast, Lofland has attitude, witty timing and sheer charisma that makes him totally fun to watch. Together, the pair have chemistry that make them a strong protagonist team, and many of their interactions with McConaughey are downright priceless.听Thanks to its young leads,听Mud听walks the line between childhood and adulthood in a manner as resonant and entertaining as a film like听Stand By Me.

However, as stated, this film isn鈥檛 simply about its two young leads (though at the same time, it is very much Ellis鈥� story). The overstuffed nature of the proceedings admittedly makes the film drag too often, and there are subplots (such as Ellis鈥� girlfriend troubles) that, while charming or interesting in the moment, are ultimately detrimental to the overall coherence of the film.

Mud is worthy viewing if you鈥檙e looking for a听wonderfully strange indie folk tale 鈥� but be ready to invest the stamina needed to pull through the slower segments.

Kofi Outlaw blogs at Screen Rant.