The Mule

In a Nutshell

Based on the true story of World War II vet Leo Sharp. Clint plays Earl Stone, a man in his 80s who is broke, alone, and facing the 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

[imdb]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7959026/[/imdb]

Review

With a career spanning 54 years, Clint Eastwood has rightfully earned his status as an icon of American cinema. Synonymous with the Western and playing no nonsense tough guys that play by their own rules, Eastwood cemented his place as one of Hollywood’s greatest anti-heroes.

Inspired by frequent collaborators like Sergio Leone and Don Siegal, Eastwood made the transition from in front of to behind the camera. It is here that he enjoyed immense success winning four Oscars among other plaudits, directing bona fide greats such as Unforgiven, Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby.

Despite being 88 years old, Eastwood hasn’t let age slow him down as he still cranks out films year after year. Despite their patchy reception as of late, Eastwood’s reputation as a film-maker always draws a certain amount of attention to his work.  His latest, The Mule is no different, raising questions over whether or not it is a return to greatness for Eastwood.

A Complete Tonal Mess

Inspired by a true story from the 1980s The Mule follows an elderly horticulturalist, Earl Stone (Clint Eastwood). With the bank foreclosing on his business and no plan B, Earl turns to a life of crime by working as a courier for a Mexican cartel. His actions don’t go unnoticed for long though, as DEA agent Colin Bates (Bradley Cooper) closes in on him as Earl adjusts to a life of crime in the twilight of his life.

Fresh from last year’s experimental misfire, The 15:17 to Paris, Eastwood moves back to familiar territory which should suit his professional and workmanlike approach but when it comes to The Mule this is far from the case as the film is a tonal mess.

Not quite a gritty drama in the vein of Breaking Bad or a charming caper like The Old Man and the Gun, The Mule never fully decides what it wants to be as the tone shifts dramatically from scene to scene.

Misjudged and Inconsistent

Attempts to inject humour either fall flat or are completely misjudged.  Inconsistencies in characters run riot at times as there are moments where Eastwood’s character Earl feels unthreatened by the idea of having a gun pointed at him, only to quiver in fear at the exact same prospect minutes later. Alas this scattershot approach is the least of the film’s problems.

For a film about a man transporting drugs for the Cartel with the DEA on his trail, The Mule is devoid of any sort of tension or peril (or even excitement). Instead Eastwood seems obsessed with subjecting the audience to endless shots of him singing along to the radio without a care in the world. 

As one of the film’s many problems, scenes like these make the two-hour run-time seem twice as long. There’s no escaping this feeling of blandness which is reinforced with a very ordinary score and by the numbers cinematography as the film drags through its second act.

Earl Travels Through Illinois, But The Film’s Subplots Simply Go Nowhere

Another issue are the film’s subplots. The strained relationship between Earl and his family that is established at the beginning of the film (complete with some dialogue straight out of a hallmark channel melodrama) is almost dropped completely in the second act.

Once it comes back towards the end it feels like the writer remembered that they were part of the film and had to shoehorn them in with some good old emotional manipulation (which fails completely).

This is mainly down to the fact that Earl isn’t a likeable character. Unlike someone like Walter White, his reasons for a career in crime are weak at best and he doesn’t even consider the moral implications of his actions.  Consumed by greed, not even the charisma of Eastwood can evoke any sort of sympathy. 

Plays Out like a Sub-Par Episode of Narcos

Although there are glimmers of Eastwood’s trademark grimacing presence, his overall performance feels tired and lacking any sort of charm. Throw in some casual racism and it’ll not be long before you’ll find yourself cheering for the DEA.

Despite being backed with the star power of the likes of Bradley Cooper and Laurence Fishburne, scenes involving the DEA’s pursuit of Earl plays like a sub-par episode of Narcos (which is ironic given how the film’s writer, Nick Schenk has previously worked on the show). Cooper’s talents are wasted in a clichéd one dimensional role with Michael Peña playing his partner, who comes across as being nothing more than a glorified sidekick.

In the film Eastwood seems to (intentionally or not) be making some sort of commentary of how technology blinds us to what is most important in life (which never really works) rather than developing a focused story with some solid dialogue. The portrayal of female characters within the film makes them feel like mere props for the film. 

Be they a prostitute or a nagging ex-wife there is not one female character in the film that carries any sort of substance (but then again not many of the male characters have any either) highlighting the problems with the script.

VERDICT

In a body of work spanning almost five decades, The Mule has to be one of Eastwood’s biggest misfires both in front and behind the camera.  Bloated and disorganised, the film wastes the talents of its cast who seem to be there for a pay cheque with Eastwood unfocused at the wheel.