Captain Broshi Reviews
”The Mule”
Grade: 6.4/10
Recommendation: Matinee
Dir. Clint Eastwood
Dist.:Warner Bros. Pictures
Writer: Nick Schenk
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper, Diane Wiest, Alyson Eastwood, Laurence Fishburne, Michel Pena, Andy Garcia
D.P.: Yves Belanger
Editor: Joel Cox
Plot Synopsis: Earl Stone (Eastwood) is a 90 year old horticulturist, losing his flower business due to the convenience of buying on the internet. In order to atone for past failures in his personal life, he becomes a delivery driver for the Mexican drug cartel. Earl’s quick success catches the attention of DEA agent Colin Bates (Cooper), who begins the hunt for the Korean War veteran. Due to a struggle in the ranks of the cartel, Stone must make a decision to please his employers or prove his worth to his estranged family. Clint Eastwood returns to the starring role for the first time in 10 years for this R-rated drama.
The Review
This review of 2018's “The Mule” will prove difficult to remove personal bias from the equation, but I will overcome this for the sake of honest opinion on the merits of makes a good film. Just a personal disclaimer: I am a HUGE Clint Eastwood fan! Seeing as this is Eastwood’s first starring/directing combo since 2008's “Gran Torino”, and more than likely his swansong performance, I was understandably emotional during this picture. Both of the films are similar in ways that are both positive and negative.
For the succeeding review, both shall be analyzed and reported on from a dispassionate perspective. As for this next particular sentence… I love anything Clint Eastwood decides to put his efforts into, just based on the respect I have for his career.
As mentioned earlier, 2008 was the last time Eastwood directed himself on film. However, he has remained busy behind the camera since, directing seven more motion pictures in the intervening ten year gap. The “Mule” is a standard late-era Eastwood movie, putting the majority of his efforts in telling a simple, yet sympathetic story. The director oftentimes utilizes a standout cast that can make even the most driveling dialogue sound at least semi-invested into.
While few in number, the comedic scenes can range from questionably funny to downright awkward, such as seeing Clint Eastwood getting down with a little bump and grind on the dance floor or his character’s casual racism towards every minority he encounters. That being said, the non-white roles are not treated disrespectfully. For instance, Earl shares a friendly relation with the majority of the gangsters he interacts with, even developing a bond with his young, hot-headed handler. Most of the people just chalk up Earl’s offensive comments to his old age.
The dramatic sequences are organized with much more care. Once again anchored by strong performances, (particularly Diane Wiest and Eastwood) these scenes are elevated a step above an average tearjerker. After the first act of pure exposition passes, the drama picks up and is paced properly throughout the rest of the picture. The moral of the story is that family is more important than work, and Eastwood sets the table properly for the audience to ingest his message.
While fans are excited to see Clint Eastwood return behind the camera, his presence back on film is always noteworthy. Having not acting in a single film since a supporting role in 2012's “Trouble with a Curve”, Eastwood reinstates himself as a leading man in “The Mule”. The heft of the story is carried through Eastwood’s character. The superstar is respectfully dedicated for an 88 year-old actor that has nothing else to prove at this point. He is not alone however, as the entire cast gives adequate performances.
Eastwood’s method of making cookie cutter characters stand out is by casting good actors who could play their assigned roles in their sleep. The part of DEA Special Agent in Charge doesn’t even get a proper name in the credits, let alone does he impact the story at all. Despite this, Laurence Fishburne is brought in to make the character, at the very least, memorable. Bradley Cooper, as well, is given a generic character who is beginning to place his police work ahead of his family, missing his anniversary, while on a stakeout. As usual though, Cooper brings his own charisma and charm to the part. Eastwood’s ex-wife is portrayed by Diane Wiest, who is probably the most likable and relatable character in the story, showing a heart and attitude that was needed to make this film work. As encouraging as the cast makes this project, they are unable to save it completely from stilted writing and dialogue.
The praise for the acting cannot be higher, with each performer delivering, but the weight of the situation is never really presented. The confrontations are not very tense in many instances. The closest moment to achieve such tension is when Earl is shown the consequences of not following orders exactly as instructed, but its over in only a few minutes, then everything practically returns to how it was before. A few plot points begin with no eventual resolution, such as the aforementioned mentor relationship with the young handler.
For the most part, the writing is mostly clunky, with the movie’s entire plot hinging on a very convenient meeting between Earl and some shady guy involved in the cartel. Exposition is presented through boring banter between characters and heavy dramatic moments are bogged down with cliché dialogue.
This potentially comes from writer Nick Schenk lack of film experience, having previously only worked on two movies, “Gran Torino” and 2014's “The Judge”, both suffering from similar afflictions. Fortunately, the story is very simple, as it sets up and delivers on guaranteed emotional payoffs, which is presumably the reason why Eastwood trusts him.
What can be said about Clint Eastwood that hasn’t already been said a thousand times before? With a career spanning 60+ years and some of the most iconic performances committed to film under his belt, his status as a Hollywood legend is well cemented. His latest and likely last starring vehicle, “The Mule” is a fitting good-bye to the tough-as-nails, hard-boiled, bad-ass of the silver screen. While it may suffer from subpar writing, the above average actors carry the film.
”The Mule” crosses the finish line with a certain degree of class and gravitas. To the hardcore fan, who feels it is their duty to honor Mr. Eastwood by attending his final starring role or just the casual moviegoer, looking for a decent drama to watch in theaters one afternoon, “The Mule” scores a “Matinee” recommendation.
As for whether or not you will enjoy it, I think you’ll find that Clint Eastwood can still go ahead and make your day.
