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Mud (Jeff Nichols, 2012) -
[REWATCH]
Nichols has an amazing ability to make me thoroughly engaged in his films and care about his characters without it getting too sappy. I know a lot of films do this well, but for the past couple of years I had thought I lost the ability to really care for film characters like he makes me care for them - to the point where I'm entranced by their every move. Nichols has reinvigorated an emotional passion in me since my recent rewatch of Take Shelter and now this film.
Sure, some of the plotting in Mud is overly convenient, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it even in the slightest. I'm not a big story guy anyway; what's more important to me is well-formed characters and artistic craft. I feel Nichols does both of those amazingly well. I just love how his characters care for each other - I think that's so important in life and he shows it in such a real, non-sappy way. Considering he's such a young director I naturally want to say he has yet to make his magnum opus, but of course that's untrue, as he made a true masterpiece with Take Shelter.
Lastly, I love his portrayal of the Midwest. I've never been there but I feel like I learn more about what is must be like to live there than, say, a documentary could show me.
It's true that Mud doesn't quite reach the heights of Take Shelter's greatness, for me anyway, but I know some prefer it to that film and that's more than alright alright alright. Both are wonderful pieces of cinema. I am more than excited to see his debut film Shotgun Stories for the first time, and I'll be there opening day for whatever future films he has yet to make.
[REWATCH]
Nichols has an amazing ability to make me thoroughly engaged in his films and care about his characters without it getting too sappy. I know a lot of films do this well, but for the past couple of years I had thought I lost the ability to really care for film characters like he makes me care for them - to the point where I'm entranced by their every move. Nichols has reinvigorated an emotional passion in me since my recent rewatch of Take Shelter and now this film.
Sure, some of the plotting in Mud is overly convenient, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it even in the slightest. I'm not a big story guy anyway; what's more important to me is well-formed characters and artistic craft. I feel Nichols does both of those amazingly well. I just love how his characters care for each other - I think that's so important in life and he shows it in such a real, non-sappy way. Considering he's such a young director I naturally want to say he has yet to make his magnum opus, but of course that's untrue, as he made a true masterpiece with Take Shelter.
Lastly, I love his portrayal of the Midwest. I've never been there but I feel like I learn more about what is must be like to live there than, say, a documentary could show me.
It's true that Mud doesn't quite reach the heights of Take Shelter's greatness, for me anyway, but I know some prefer it to that film and that's more than alright alright alright. Both are wonderful pieces of cinema. I am more than excited to see his debut film Shotgun Stories for the first time, and I'll be there opening day for whatever future films he has yet to make.