The Mule Movie Review (2018)
An interesting film about an octogenarian who transports drugs for the cartel, The Mule has a great cast and an extra bump from knowing it’s based on a true story.
When you think about people in their 80s, the first thing that comes to mind is not “drug mule.” In passing thoughts, pickleball, mahjong, and trips to Florida are more stereotypical responses because, at that point, you should be able to relax and enjoy yourself in whatever manner suits your lifestyle. So this tale is definitely different from the rest.
The Mule is about Earl Stone, a horticulturist in his late 80s who has always been famous for the flowers that he grew on his farm. Putting work and popularity ahead of family, he is estranged from his daughter and ex-wife when he suddenly finds that he has to go out of business and has his house foreclosed on. Upon meeting a man who notices his circumstances, Earl begins to earn money by driving goods across state lines. This ultimately leads to him becoming an important drug mule with the cartel.
This film is based on a true story, and many of the facts involving Earl (whose name has been changed from real-life mule Leo Sharp) are real. Many of the more personal life details appear to have been changed for the movie, but nonetheless, it’s pretty interesting.
Clint Eastwood plays Earl, and filmed this role when he was 88 years old. He is excellent and incredibly natural as this ornery character who seems a little too big from his britches, having been looked at so highly in the past. He is crotchety, does things his way, and has hugely inappropriate boundaries (calling someone the Fuhrer or casually using derogatory terms for people). That said, he has a strange and endearing quality that you figure is what won him so much reverence over the years.
The rest of the cast is great, but some people are seriously underused. Laurence Fishburne plays a DEA Special Agent, but he has approximately 3 minutes of screen time. Michael Peña gets closer to 5 minutes as an officer, so that’s better, and Bradley Cooper and Dianne Wiest get quite a bit more as a DEA agent and Earl’s ex-wife respectively. Allison Eastwood (Clint Eastwood’s daughter) also plays his estranged daughter for a few minutes.
The film itself is a bit uneven. The first and second acts have pockets of really interesting moments and story, but also, a few lulls. The third act is where everything really picks up and I found it incredibly engaging. It was worth getting through the lulls to reach the real meat of the story in the last act.
The Mule is a compelling film about a real-life man who found himself committing crimes to make his – and others’ – lives better with the money he made. It has a great cast and a good message. It’s worth a watch.
Runtime: 116 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English and Spanish with English subtitles
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
