|
|
 |
Mud
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Lions Gate Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak (13th December 2013). |
|
The Film
 For years Matthew McConaughey has been underrated as an actor, while the world was poking fun at his pot-fuelled naked bongo sessions, being constantly shirtless and spouting what would become his trademark "alight, alright, alright" he was delivering solid performances. Performances in films such as the religious thriller "Frailty" (2001), the guilty pleasure dragon-based apocalypse film "Reign of Fire" (2002), legal drama "The Lincoln Lawyer" (2011), dark comedy "Bernie" (2011), an impressively devious "Killer Joe" (2011), as well as two stellar performances last year in "Magic Mike" (2012) and this film "Mud" as well as making waves this year for "Dallas Buyers Club"... ok so there was a period between 2003 and 2010 where he was churning out sub-par rom-coms, but he was still charming and in almost every case the best thing about the movie. So he got a bad rap years ago and still plays the bongos naked, but who cares? As long as he keeps delivering stunning performances in films like "Mud" he can do whatever the hell he wants with those bongos. "Mud" tells the story of two teenage boys Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland), who one day while exploring a small island on the Mississippi river find a small boat stuck in a tree. A boat they intend to claim and make their hideout, however a mysterious stranger has been living in the boat. Mud (Matthew McConaughey) encounters the boys and enters into a pact with them to get the boat out of the tree and fix it in exchange for his gun, Mud is on the run from some dangerous people and all he wants is to reunite with his old girlfriend Juniper (Reese Witherspoon) and sail away into the sunset, but a series of events puts him and the boys in direct danger. The first impression of "Mud" is the film's location, Arkansas on the Mississippi river, the location is as much a character as the characters themselves. The river has a life of its own and screenwriter/director Jeff Nichols peppers the film with characters that all thrive around the river, it feels like an essential part of the film and in many ways is the catalyst for the narrative. Matched by Adam Stone's haunting and subtle photography "Mud" truly comes into its own as a terrific piece of slow boil entertainment, which is the film's second impression. That aspect of the film is probably its most uncommercial element, slow boil films tend to have limited audiences. People these days are used to fast-paced, action orientated films, they no longer have time for a thriller that unfolds slowly yet in meticulous fashion, "Mud" is exactly that film, but if viewers give it a chance they will be greatly rewarded. I was taken almost immediately by Stone's cinematic and aesthetic choices, furthermore the casting is spot on. Matthew McConaughey is simply stellar as the film's title character. He's plays a dangerous fugitive with a soft side. Mud is complex and richly developed, yet he's not the only star of this film. McConaughey shares the screen with two incredible previously undiscovered talents in Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland - the latter had never acted in anything before this film. These two boys not only deliver realistic and natural performances but hold their own with not only McConaughey but with Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Paulson, Michael Shannon (whom previously collaborated with the director on the excellent "Take Shelter" (2011)) and Sam Shepard. These boys should hopefully have long and successful careers ahead of them, and the highly experienced supporting cast all leave lasting impressions. There was nothing that I didn't like about this film, "Mud" was engaging and captivating from start to finish, you can see the love crafted into the film by Stone, taking inspiration from Mark Twains' "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" he's crafted a coming-of age film like no other. "Mud" was excellent, I can't really recommend it highly enough, but if you're looking for something a little fast paced, then you'll have to look elsewhere.
Video
Presented in the film's original theatrical ratio of 2.35:1 mastered in HD 1080p 24/fps and using AVC MPEG-4 compression. Lionsgate has delivered an immersive and impressive HD transfer, the film's cinematography really shines on this disc. The presentation is beautifully rendered, the detail is terrific showing off the haunting and beautiful locations, colors are natural, as are skin tones and blacks are inky and present without noise. The film's overall aesthetic is expertly preserved in this transfer without any noticeable flaws.
Audio
Two audio tracks are included in both English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround mixed at 48kHz/24-bit as well as Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. For the purpose of this review I chose to view the film with its English DTS-HD audio. Much like the visuals the audio is also terrific, much of the film is atmosphere and the surround track nails it with a subtle yet immersive mix. Dialogue is clear and without distortion, ambient and environmental sounds make excellent use of the surround channels as does the film's score. Nothing to complain about here. Optional subtitles are included in English, English for the hearing impaired and Spanish.
Extras
Lionsgate has released this film with a few supplements that include an audio commentary and four featurettes. Below is a closer look at these extras. The film includes a feature-length audio commentary with screenwriter/director Jeff Nichols, Nichols shows his love for the film here as he openly discusses the influences and themes, the importance of shooting in Arkansas and on the location being an integral character in the film among other things. "A Personal Tale" is the first featurette (1080p) and runs for 11 minutes 37 seconds, takes a look at the genesis of the film as well as exploring the personal nature of the film to its filmmaker. "The Arkansas Ensemble" featurette (1080p) runs for 7 minutes 11 seconds, this clip takes a closer look at the cast of the film and on how they were cast. "Southern Authenticity" is a featurette (1080p) that runs for 6 minutes 14 seconds and delves into the location of the film and the filmmaker's desire to make a film in Arkansas and the importance it held to the story. "The Snake Pit" is the final featurette (1080p) on the disc and runs for a brief 1 minute 30 seconds and is a behind-the-scenes look at the snake pit scene in the film's third act. The disc also includes a collection of bonus trailers (1080p) for: - "Emperor" - "The Lincoln Lawyer" - "Winter’s Bone" - "Ring of Fire" Inside the case is a promotional code for an Ultraviolet digital copy version of the film.
Packaging
Packaged in a Blu-ray keep case housed in a cardboard slip-case.
Overall
|
|||||
|