Posted on 12/17/2018 7:24:46 AM PST by nikos1121
So, like many here, I'm waiting for the opening of Clint's new movie, The Mule.
Why? Hmmm. Let me counts the ways.
1. His movies are 95% of the time entertaining, esp if he's in them.
2. I like watching him.
3. His movies cut thru the crap, and make you think while at the same time have you glued to the seat, I'm thinking of the 2 two Iwo Jima movies, or Gran Torino, Unforgiven, etc
4. HIs movies can be funny, like Bronco Billy.
Ok? So, I'm eagerly awaiting this one, The Mule, as I've seen the previews. And it supposedly takes place in Peoria, IL where I lived once, and my kids still do.
I get up on SUnday, and check the times. Perfect, a 1:15 Matinee.
I call up a friend, she in!
WE meet. I get my senior discount ticket, and her adult, big 2019 Popcorn Bucket, and off we go.
We sit up in the higher seats.
(NOte: Has anyone noticed that no one, I MEAN NO ONE sits downstairs anymore...esp adult. We all sit at the higher seats...so, like Bill Hickok, we can watch everyone walk in. I'd wager that 60% of us were packing.)
So, before the show, I'm scanning thru the reviews at Rotton Tomato, and here I see that the movie critics are really slamming the movie. I mean about 50% say it's zero.
One guy, implies that the movie has cryptic pro Trump messaging ie...I guess anti-immigrants?
Another guy says, the movie was "pasted together with very few retakes."
Another is upset that Bradley Cooper didn't have a bigger part.
And on and on bs.
I"m thinking no way, no how, Clint, my Man is not going to let me down.
I pan thru the reviews by people like us, "The audience" and they're glowing...I mean not an Oscar winning movie, but a good solid Clint film. Many giving it 4/4 stars.
Here's the real impression.
It's a great movie. Solid 3 out of 4 star Clint movie all the way. Not real artsy fartsy movie like The Unforgivin, but entertaining...Got that Folks, Entertaining.
Clint makes movie making easy. He tees up the good guy's on one side, usually the family he left behind, the bad guys on the other side, usually criminal elements in the Latino and black community, and he's in the middle, a repentant old geezer, selfish in life until life stares him in the face.
He's says in the movie, "The only guy wishing to live to be 100, is the guy who is 99."
No spoiler alert, but here's a little background.
Clint plays the part of 90 year old Earl Stone, a very popular Horticulturist who wins contests for the best Lilys who goes bankrupt when the internet makes ordering flowers easy.
He's out of money, out of a job. So, by fate he runs into some Mexican Cartel guys, at his grand daughter's wedding, who hire him to do some drug running for them, from Texas to CHicago, because no one would suspect him, and like he says, he's NEVER had a traffic ticket in his whole life.
He's The Mule.
He makes a lot of money working with these tough hombres, on the first run. And I would have been happy if the movie ended there, and we went home knowing that Earl buys his old farm back, and lives happily ever after...
but noooooooooOOOOOOooooooo.
We have to go through the usual tense moments back and forth, and watch Earl smoothly enter in and out of danger.
I don't know who does the casting of these movies, but they always seem to get the people who actually make you scared to look at them. I mean, I could feel my BP going up when they would be threatening Clint.
And of course, just like in the movie Gran Torino, they can threaten him all day, and he doesn't give a rat's @...he's Veteran and he's seen it and done it all...and tells them to get lost.
Anyway, he makes the first run...then he does it again and again.
I'm going to stop here.
All I'm going to say is, I found myself praying that he'd stop while he was ahead,
but noooooooOOOOOooooo
he keeps going to the point, that the big Kahuna in Mexico played capably by Andy Garcia, flies him in to party at his home for a week or so.
It's a movie worth seeing, even alone. Clint knows how to real us in, and he does it quickly. Movie moves fast, even the slow parts.
And as usual, Clint sticks it to the PC crowd of critics, he mocks blacks and Latinos like breathing in and breathing out. Being PC doesn't exist in an Eastwood movie.
ONe scene has him pulling over to help a black family with a flat tire, and Earl says something like, "Not surprising to find Negros on the side of the road not knowing how to change a tire." Bwahahahahahahaaaaa.
I get the critics, but while watching this movie, I realize these critics, who make money reviewing movies, DON'T GET Clint Eastwood, same as the idiots at CNN and MSNBC etc don't get Trump.
Can't wait until the next Clint movie. I hope he keeps going, until? Well, he's 100.
I think we were supposed to cheer dirty harry. This was time when the courts and politicians were coddling criminals. So Harry did what other cops wouldn’t. He dealt out justice that we weren’t seeing in the courts.
Okay, I see your thinking especially about the middle of the road folks who were uncomfortable about his take no prisoners approach and wanted him gone yet realized how desperately they really needed him as he was riding away. That is going to happen with Trump for sure. These soccer moms who are turning on him will look back once the socialists get control of everything and regret many things.
But I just rewatched the trailer for the movie and it starts "This is about a movie about a couple of killers. Harry Callahan and a homicidal maniac." Right away they start with "two sides of same coin". Except the public didn't see it that way.
I saw The Mule on Sunday. Light crowd.
Two stars out of five. It’s a movie we’ve all seen before. We’ve seen the story. We’ve seen the scenes. Very predictable.
Everybody in the movie looked tired. Probably bored with the subject matter.
It’s not a very good movie. And I’m a big Eastwood fan.
That line wa snot there before. Odd and PC
That's it! The perfect review.
AND he chose Toby Keith to write/perform the final song (Don't Let The Old Man In) which was inspired by Clint himself (a direct quote, actually).
In High Plains Drifter Clint is playing the ghost of the sheriff the town let get murdered.
"That's not directing. That's guessing."--Clint Eastwood
Thank you the kind post, I will check it out. Funny how I provoked an angry post or two against me, as if I’m some professional critic or something.
The movie First Man really go bad publicity here and elsewhere. I was sucked into it until I read someone’s take on it, here on FR. So I went to see it, and he was write, it’s a very patriotic movie.
So, I posted The Mule, the same way, because RT really trashed it.
I see your point about Breaking Bad, and I now agree with you. It’s Breaking Bad meet Gran Torino.
But it is an interesting play on words as the movie was and felt real.
No one spells well or uses proper grammar these days.
Yeah, but the guys in this movie make him look innocent.
God, now we’re really dating ourselves.
I think that’s the general assessment, but I like simple. Yeah, it’s predictable.
2 out of 5 stars is a stay homer for me. I’d say 3 stars because it’s entertaining.
I don’t think at Clint’s age you’re going to get many if any really block buster works anymore with him as an actor. I think he’s going to crank out these simple ones, and maybe direct one or two.
But you must Hollywood puts out 89% garbage. I watched six trailers, and maybe want to see one.
Clint has a reputation for being an efficient director and bringing projects in under budget. There is a story that an actor wanted to do minor takes and Eastwood asked, did you like that one. He said yes, but..... Eastwood said. Ok then let’s move to the next scene.
I agree with you. I usually like Eastwood movies and I remember seeing Space Cowboys on opening day, a movie I enjoyed a lot. Well done, compelling story, and good characters/characterization.
I like simple, too. “The Mule” just looked old and tired. It’s about an old and tired guy, I get it. But this was a swing and a miss for me.
“Like Rush Limbaugh did with “Million Dollar Baby”.”
Didn’t know Rush did that, he should know better.
“Yeah, but the guys in this movie make him look innocent.”
Anyone who can make Danny T look innocent I have to see.
It’s an Eastwood movie so I’ll end up seeing it sooner or later. Haven’t been to a theater in 30 years.
Rush didn’t like the ending. Many conservatives didn’t. A lot of them probably didn’t even see it.
Whether you like it or not is no reason to go spoiling it.
FWIW, I understood the ending.
All the Clint movies of the past five years are the same basically. In fact, maybe before. Heartbreak Ridge, again the failed marriage...Trouble With the Curve and the movie where he’s the jewel thief, again, failed marriage...etc.
It’s like every third or fourth one is great one...This is okay you win, it’s 2 1/2 stars, but still entertaining, and I might just watch it again... don’t know.
I think 90% of a Clint Eastwood movie, is just watching HIM. We all know the game. He probably just say’s “Roll Em” and he acts out, and they edit. Next scene.
50% of this movie is he’s by himself, either cutting flowers, driving or whatever....
I mean, the scene where he confronts the big guy who is banging on the ice maker is funny. Or how about the scenes with the escort girls...or him dancing...at VFW Hall.
BTW I’ve lived in Peoria, and I recognized no Peoria sights. I think some of the scenes were of I55 and Chicago, but I doubt that Clint would film an actual farm in Peoria. You’re right he comes in under budget.
The scene at the beginning where everyone flocks to get a sample of his flowers, and he makes some crack about the INternet.
Clint is laughing at himself and at us. He’s like his characters. He doesn’t give a crap whether you like what he does or not, he knows it’s going to make money, and then now and then he does something great.
Trouble With the Curve... another typical Clint movie, but I liked that too.
Ok...maybe I’m too much a home boy to be objective. IT was like the last few movies John Wayne did, they stunk...we knew that, but it was all about watching the duke and his cliches.
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