Mud

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Tye Sheridan, Matthew McConaughey, & Jacob Lofland in Mud.

It's a rarity when a movie like Mud comes along. Truly unique film achievements that are incomparable to any other still find their way to the big screen but not as often as they once did. Motion pictures like Mud remind me why I love movies, and after all these years, they still have the ability to entertain, inspire and surprise you.

Texas teen Tye Sheridan stars as Ellis, a confident fourteen-year-old Arkansas boy. He and his friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) motorboat to a small island nearby. There, they explore a fishing boat, somehow nestled up in a tree. What they didn't expect to find was a squatter hiding away in the boat, who calls himself "Mud."

Mud (Matthew McConaughey) has a past. A past full of violence, heartbreak, frustration and murder - all because of Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), his lifelong love. After Mud kills Juniper's abusive boyfriend, she pledges to be with him. Hiding on the island for his own safety, Mud plans to get the boat down from the tree, bring it to shore, find Juniper and sail off together. Ellis and Neck agree to help. Neckbone helps because Ellis wants to; Ellis helps because he believes Mud and Juniper really love each other. Although Mud and Juniper only share one brief scene in the entire movie, their tortured past and tumultuous feelings can be felt as if they were together on-screen for the whole time. That's just one testimony to how awesome these performances are, and how well-made the movie really is.

Although the marketing and title suggest that Mud is the protagonist, he's really used to help illustrate the characterization and further the plot of the the true main character, Ellis. Tye Sheridan (who is already attached to four future film projects) is absolutely perfect as Ellis. Almost flawlessly is Sheridan able to showcase the wannabe toughness of the character, while simultaneously conveying the innocence that the role requires. You can see right through Ellis' macho facade and right to his vulnerability. Even though he punches three people in the face and hits on senior girls, he reacts the same way any boy would when he finds out his parents are getting divorced, or when his girlfriend starts to ignore his calls. With this performance, Tye Sheridan is the Tom Holland of 2013, and I can't wait to see what his future roles will bring to cinema.

The film is earnestly directed by Jeff Nichols, who also wrote the film's screenplay. Nichols' touch gives the movie its sincerity that will hopefully make it stand out for generations to come. Add those factors to the spot-on cinematography; the star making performance by Tye Sheridan; and the music that beckons you to rush to iTunes, buy the soundtrack, and listen throughout the night work to make Mud an early contender for the best movie of 2013.

In most of my reviews, you'll see that I try to make a connection or comparison to some other movie. This time, I simply can't. Mud is astoundingly unique, and at my very limited level of film expertise, I can't think of any motion picture I can compare it to, say it's better/worse than, or delve into the thematic differences. But this is a good thing. Mud goes to show that indescribably and utterly brilliant movie miracles are still possible, and deserve our attention and appreciation.

Rating: 5/5