MOVIE REVIEW: THE MULE

Broke, alone and facing foreclosure on his business, Earl Stone takes a job as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. His immediate success leads to easy money and a larger shipment that soon draws the attention of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates. When Earl's past mistakes start to weigh heavily on his conscience, he must decide whether to right those wrongs before law enforcement and cartel thugs catch up to him.

Director: Clint Eastwood

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Peña, Dianne Wiest, Andy García

Release Date: December 14, 2018

Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Rated R for language throughout and brief sexuality/nudity

Runtime: 1h 56 min

Review:

The Mule is surprisingly funny, occasionally reflective entry into Clint Eastwood’s resume.  Eastwood’s film is impressive for its measured approach at making an unlikable character incredibly likeable.  Eastwood can be credited for this since he’s the star and director.  His performance is heavy on grandpa-ism which makes Earl Stone easy to like.  There are a few odd moments in the film where you get the feeling that Eastwood is trying to say something about race but he never really commits to that thread.  As a self reflective film, you get the sense that this subject matter hits close to home for him.  So much so that he beats you over the head with the “family is what matters” message.  Still the film offers a bevy of strong performances from Eastwood and his supporting cast even if the story itself is a bit simplistic.  

B-