The Mule celebrates the return of Clint Eastwood in front of and behind the camera. While it's not his strongest work, it still provides his fans with an entertaining story based on true events.
“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 Early, he’s just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. 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.”
Clint Eastwood, almost 90 years old, still going strong as he directs and stars in The Mule, inspired by the true story of Leo Sharp, a WWII veteran in his 80s who became a top drug mule for the cartels. The film itself is much more than that, as Eastwood plays a character who is indeed likable, but a failure when it comes to being there for his family throughout his life, and it doesn’t particularly seem to bother him until he’s reached the end of his life and his business is forced to close. With his work no longer in the way and the fact he’s making easy money driving cross-country, now Earl wants to make amends with his family and make up for the time he’s lost with them. This B-Story is the heart and soul of the film but unfortunately doesn’t get a lot of time devoted to it, as simply showing up to a few events seem to make up for an entire lifetime of absence. Although it does seem to change him in one major way, finally putting work aside to be there when his family needs him, in all other aspects he seems like the same guy who enjoys hiring prostitutes and living life to the fullest when he’s on the road.
Eastwood knows how to play his character and what the target audience will enjoy, which is basically him being a grumpy old man saying things off the cuff and is borderline racist, but in a way that has no ill-intent behind it. There is a hint of ageism explored in the film as well, as Bradley Cooper’s character makes a remark that he enjoys talking to ‘one of you guys’ from time to time, clarifying that as old people who have lost their filter. Earl is reaching the end of his life when his world has drastically changed, with the internet putting him out of business, not being able to operate a cell phone and choosing his old beat up but reliable truck over anything else. He finds himself in an adapt or die kind of situation where he has no other alternative but to embrace the changes in society and technology and get with the times, a relatable situation for many of his fans.
Even at approaching 90, Clint Eastwood still has such a great acting talent. Though he may not be able to express it as clearly in his younger years, his eyes still get the message across quite clearly. If his work-load the past couple years is any indication, he has no plans to slow down any time soon, and I hope to see him continue to both act and direct for as long as he’s able. Though I wasn’t a fan of the decision to use non-actors in The 15:17 to Paris, it was a bold decision that I can respect. He surrounds himself with such great talent also, with Dianne Wiest, Taissa Farmiga, Bradley Cooper, Andy Garcia, and even his daughter, Alison Eastwood, with smaller roles from other great actors who all want to be a part of his next film.
As much as I enjoy Clint Eastwood’s work, The Mule, for me, just seemed to be lacking something to make it a great film. The character basically has nothing to lose and even says as much when threatened, taking all risk of consequences out of the equation. When a character has nothing to lose and doesn’t care about his own fate, why should the audience? He’s threatened with violence by the cartels, imprisonment by law enforcement, but towards the end he seems to just be doing it to give the money away. So, at the end of his life, why should we care what happens to him? There was ample opportunity to explore more in depth some of the more meaningful aspects of the story but unfortunately that was not taken advantage of.
Video
The Mule is presented in 2160p 4k Ultra High Definition Widescreen 2.4:1. The HDR on this film provides those brilliant brights and deep darks that 4k boasts, giving this an amazing look. The detail is so clear, with a rich balance between colors. Although this is a very darkly toned film, the instances with color, such as the opening sequence in Earl’s prime as he grows flowers at his business and travels to conventions, are very bright and colorful.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-Master Audio 5.1. The track sounds great, with most of the sound coming in the form of dialogue through the center channel. The sequences that do take advantage of the surrounds are very powerful and well-balanced, never overpowering the ability to hear the dialogue. Additionally, there are some great songs on the soundtrack as Earl drives cross-country through most of the film, singing along to some good driving tunes.
Special Features
Not many extras on this set, but nevertheless enjoyable to watch.
- Making of The Mule: Nobody Runs Forever: Join actor/producer/director Clint Eastwood and the all-star cast and crew of The Mule as Eastwood makes his bold return to the big screen.
- Toby Keith “Don’t Let the Old Man In” Music Video
The Mule is by far Eastwood’s best work, but is still a demonstration of his abilities pushing 90 years old. Although it has its faults, the film is entertaining simply for the fact in seeing him return to the front of the camera after six years.
