Directed by:
Clint EastwoodScreenplay:
Nick SchenkCinematography:
Yves BélangerComposer:
Arturo SandovalCast:
Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper, Dianne Wiest, Taissa Farmiga, Michael Peña, Alison Eastwood, Andy Garcia, Laurence Fishburne, Clifton Collins Jr. (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Eastwood stars as Earl Stone, a man in his 80s who is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. Easy enough, but, unbeknownst to Earl, he’s just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. He does well—so well, in fact, that his cargo increases exponentially, and Earl is assigned a handler. But he isn’t the only one keeping tabs on Earl; the mysterious new drug mule has also hit the radar of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates. And even as his money problems become a thing of the past, Earl’s past mistakes start to weigh heavily on him, and it’s uncertain if he’ll have time to right those wrongs before law enforcement, or the cartel’s enforcers, catch up to him. (Warner Bros. US)
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Reviews (14)
"Thanks, Grandpa." – "You're welcome, dykes." Clint Eastwood is a sure thing. While The Mule (if you compare it to the last few films he's been in) isn't as strong as Gran Torino or Million Dollar Baby, it's thankfully much better than Trouble with the Curve. It's a fun and touching film with a laid-back atmosphere interspersed with some suspense, with one incredibly admirable guy in the main role and the director's chair. Earl Stone is one of his most sympathetic characters.
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A slow, old-school ride in the style of Gran Torino, in other words, the typical Eastwood signature of the new millennium. A story about family and life experiences from the mouth of a grumpy old man, this time with some drugs and cartels mixed in here in there. Eastwood, however, pulls it off with a refinement and grace all his own. It's nothing we haven't seen in many more animalistic and dramatic variations, but few can season it with such a dose of life experience and satirical insight. It's a pity there are so many great actors and so little room for their characters. Everything stands and falls on Eastwood, and maybe that's a bit of a shame. Plus for Andy Garcia, aka the man with the golden gun.
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An honest farewell picture about a florist who realizes in the end that family is more important than work. In terms of plot, this is a classic rise-and-fall story, but with the title role played by 90-year-old Clint, who thoroughly enjoys himself. Mr. Charisma sees no problem in taking two hookers to his motel room or calling black people “niggers"; he just puts on his innocent old-man face and gets away with it. He has a good relationship with the boys from the cartel until they start to talk about efficiency and growth. He even learns how to write texts. Humorous sequences alternate incredibly naturally with suspenseful and downright sad ones. Old school. I have a clear retirement plan.
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At an impressive stage of his career, Clint Eastwood delivers a professional performance both behind the camera and in front of it. He continues to make films because he still enjoys doing it and because his position in the American film industry allows him to do so. What he showcases in The Mule he has already done in the past (much) better and more convincingly. His film lacks tempo and elements of sentiment creep into it. The routine execution can't be overlooked, but you can't blame the old man for portraying his social type, a guy who has forgotten the times when things were still in their place, when there were two genders and men knew how to change tires, he has been honing it for several decades now. Overall impression: 55%.
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A safe bet. Even though the family sub-plot almost surprises in its unsurprisingness, developing into inadequately fairytale morality, and heading overall towards an inevitable finale, I enjoyed it and was even moved at times. The legendary personality of the director/actor (especially the later) is evident in every line uttered with gusto and in every camera movement, with a narration that never grinds, the likeable evolution of Earl’s motivations and the position of the investigators, so the slightly repetitive scheme gradually becomes more dramatic and, despite the perhaps exaggerated laxity, you can feel in the story an old man’s sincere recapitulation of a life that cannot be lived again and whose errors cannot be mended. Clint is great again, you will get used to his character, laugh with him and feel sorry for him. And the solid cast of known actors in secondary roles makes it even more pleasant. 80%
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