Mud

  Imdb synopsis: Two teenage boys encounter a fugitive and form a pact to help him evade the bounty hunters on his trail and to reunite him with his true love.

We went out to see this one on a whim. One of my professors told me that it was worth seeing. So when Mrs. E came home from work (yes, Mr. E is writing this one!) I surprised her with grilled burgers, fries, and chocolate milkshakes; all of which were home-made and freakin’ delicious. I know because I tasted them.

After our last few movies we’d seen on the big screen I wasn’t expecting much, but after about 15 minutes Mrs. E turned to me and said, “This is already better than The Place Beyond the Pines.” My wife speaks the truth. I just sat there for two hours and watched the movie. I wasn’t trying to guess what would happen next or analyze the filmmaking. For someone like me, that’s a very rare thing. So I tip my hat to Jeff Nichols for that one.

The relationships felt real, the situations were believable, and I cared for the characters. Everything ties up very nicely in the end, perhaps too nicely, but it felt good not to have any loose ends or plot holes dangling as I walked out the theater. It was beautifully shot and very well directed. Also, Matthew McConaughey was fantastic, I’m really digging the new direction his career is going.

I want to give this 4.5 stars, but that’s cheating, so just know this was very close to being a five-star rating for us.