User reviews

The 88 year old Clint Eastwood who apparently has enough wits about him to keep a driver's license decides at the suggestion of a guest at his daughter's wedding to do some driving for friends who will pay him well, very well. It's only after a few trips that retired horticulturalist Eastwood realizes its drugs he's hauling and he's making too much money now to quit. In fact he's pulled himself out of some serious debt and bequeathing gifts all around.

Being the devil's advocate you got to say that drug dealers are ingenious in terms of finding new methods of smuggling. Who would expect a super senior citizen who is a few years would probably have his license lifted to be a drug mule. I say that because two of my uncles at Eastwood's age had their driver's licenses lifted by the State of New York. But while they were still driving no drug cop or any other kind would have given him a second look.

Which what happens to DEA agent Bradley Cooper and other law enforcement when they come across Eastwood. But the wiretaps that the DEA has gives them chatter about someone who is becoming legendary for the weight he is delivering.

The Mule is a bittersweet picture about old age and Clint Eastwood drew a lot from his own life and others to give us this portrayal. I should also single out Dianne Wiest who plays his estranged ex-wife and mother of his daughter who loves him, but can't stand his irresponsible ways.

What I love about this film is that we leave Eastwood doing exactly what he was doing as the film opened only in a different location. And he has a degree of security he never had before.

Watch the film to see what I'm talking about. God willing Clint may be acting and directing himself in his 90s.

You could say I'm a considerably huge Clint Eastwood fan, I celebrate the man's whole career and love most of his work. As a director, I think he's been solid overall, making a handful of classic films along the way. As watchable as it is, The Mule is not one of them. It could be the last big thing we see from Eastwood's career, and if so, then it's not a bad note to go out on, but it's not his best, and it doesn't have to be. He's proven himself a hundred times over, and this is the film he wanted to make. The Mule is a fine movie to watch, and Eastwood plays a very subdued character, unlike his role in Gran Torino where he still had shades of his bad boy past. He's softer, he's passive, he's what you expect a man of this age to be...and in that way, he played it perfectly.

A marketing campaign coming in at the 12th hour and a film that's still been surprisingly hidden by Warner Bros, The Mule could be a fitting end to a storied Hollywood career from Clint Eastwood. In many ways mirroring his life, The Mule gives insight into Eastwood's inner psyche, as he has navigated being an in demand actor for over 60 years whilst having a large family to look after as well. So if you're looking at the film in that way, it's a sharp and poignant apology Eastwood is sending to his family after all these years. It's not a perfect film, but it's tightly directed, at times brilliantly intense, and even emotionally moving. Even if it is a ultimately predictable and unsurprising drama. If it is Eastwood's last hoorah, it's been one hell of a run.

7.7/10

This film was perfectly paced to tell the short but true story of an 80 year old WWII veteran and horticulturist's time as a drug mule for the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel. In reality Leo Sharp smuggled more than a ton of Cocaine into Michigan for $1.25 million and was sentenced to three years in prison, after being caught by the DEA, of which he served one year.

In the film, the real Leo Sharp is named Earl Stone and is portrayed by Clint Eastwood himself, who additionally both directed and produced this project. (Also, One of Eastwood's real life daughters starred as his daughter in the film.). Earl is a day lily horticulturist whose business suffers to the point where his home and farm are being foreclosed on, due to his unwillingness to keep up with the times by way of the internet. By chance he meets a young man who offers him a job delivering a package across state lines at his granddaughter's engagement party, which he jumps at in order to make money to help pay for her wedding and save face with his estranged family.

The film really makes a compelling argument for how he gets started in the business and an even more compelling argument for how he got away with it. As an older gentleman people would never guess that he would be involved and in fact even though the DEA gets pointed right to him and the motel he is staying at...they completely overlook this elderly war veteran.

This was slow paced, but heartfelt and emotional. I think fans of good cinematography will enjoy it, fans of Clint Eastwood will love it and fans of good story telling should watch it. It was nice to see Clint Eastwood starring in this film and playing a character of a similar age.

I'll keep it short. Not a bad movie, a little slow but just enough to keep you interested. Good acting, funny wise cracks, ending kind of a let down. Still better than 90% of the movie out there. 7/10

When you've got the goods, you've got the goods. Clint Eastwood has the goods in terms of creating, consistently, very good movies. Movies that move you, make you think - and most of all - enjoy a coupe hours of your life.

He's the got the Midas Touch. I don't think I've ever watched a Clint Eastwood movie I disliked, and I'm picky.

This movie revolves around a topic so near and dear to all of us: family. It highlights that none of us are perfect, some more than others, but in the end - redemption and forgiveness are there for even the worst of us.

He elegantly, again, makes a movie for an older actor that works, and works really well.

Do yourself a favor and watch this movie, you won't be sorry. Clint Eastwood is a master of his trade, and this movie - like so many of his before - clearly shows that.

Another well made movie from Clint Eastwood. His performance is top notch as well. Not his best, but well worth watching. Thanks Clint!

In my personal opinion no one does a slow burn better then Mr. Eastwood. His cinematography, lighting and ambience develops slowly... he's in no hurry to tell his story and that's what makes him such a great storyteller. We experience the anxiety of his first few trips and along with everyone else in the theatre...we wait for the other shoe to drop. His showcased advanced age along with his hunched posture and shuffled walk in this film is the perfect antagonist for what is expected and asked of him. We are privy to comparisons of his choices of work over family. Eastwood seems to have no regret or recollection of his daughters wedding whilst receiving an award for his prized lilies. He continues to be the "Mule" knowing all too well the consequences of his actions. Redemption is a very big price. Eastwood shines here. Don't expect a lot of action... but this film is a study in character... which is what Eastwood does best.

I had never heard of Leo Sharp before watching "The Mule". What a story. Clint Eastwood (who also directed) plays a fictionalized version of Sharp, smuggling drugs for a cartel partly because it enables him to spend the money benevolently. These moral conundrums arise a lot.

It was a little weird in some scenes, seeing Eastwood surrounded by women a fraction of his age; probably wishful thinking on his part. Even so, the movie shows how the old man got more and more into the business, resulting in some tense incidents. In addition to Eastwood, there's good support from Laurence Fishburne, Bradley Cooper, Dianne Wiest, Andy Garcia and Taissa Farmiga.

I wanted to like this film but the writing and the plot was so lame, full of plotholes and lack of character development that I had to try real hard to connect and understand the decisions and the forced dialogues. The movie had a good concept but it did not coincide with the plot. Character's story was forced and not believable, plot rushed, often (and on important occasions) lacking cohesion between character and the story. occasionally forced dialogues, no matter how good they are. Plot was so predictable, Cooper was merely making appearances in the scenes with no character development. No climax. Disappointing from Eastwood

A Clint Eastwood film is sometimes all you need to remember how much you love great cinema and that's especially true in this case. It's the real life story of an 80-year-old war veteran who, as he finds his livelihood threatened, manages to cross paths with a Mexican drug cartel and winds up transporting their product across the Midwest. As he demonstrates value, his runs become larger and more lucrative each time.

Eastwood portrays Earl Stone, a mild-mannered hardworking horticulturalist who became a champion drug mule for the cartels as law enforcement was completely blind to his low-key but highly effective operations. Enter Bradley Cooper as the dedicated DEA agent who has to muster considerable time and resources to even begin to piece things together and Michael Pena as his partner. Dianne Weist offers a sympathetic turn as Stone's long-suffering ex-wife. Andy Garcia is good fun as the drug lord who is pleased with the old mercenary's hard work.

Although this film covers a grim story, it has a light-hearted feel for many stretches and a refreshing sense of humor. Eastwood himself is absolutely compelling as an old man who suddenly finds himself awash in money from an illegal enterprise and seeing the world from a different angle; here, Clint reminds us how huge a screen presence he has no matter how old he gets.

I'm not sure what many critics have missed with this film but hopefully audiences will take note. Eastwood has given us another great film and one of his best performances ever in this crackerjack drama. Highly recommended.

In the 80´s, in Peoria, Illinois, the Korean War veteran Earl Stone (Clint Eastwood) is a ninety year-old horticulturist that has always prioritized his work and friends over his family. He is estranged by his ex-wife Mary (Dianne Wiest) and his daughter Iris (Alison Eastwood). When his granddaughter Ginny (Taissa Farmiga) is celebrating her engagement with her fiancé, Earl is completely broken and accepts to become a mule above any suspicion for the Mexican cartel transporting drugs from Illinois to Chicago and other places under the alias Tata. He makes money and resolves many financial issues of his family and friends. Meanwhile the efficient DEA Agent Colin Bates (Bradley Cooper) is in charge of investigating the notorious cartel and the mysterious Tata with his partner Agent Treviño (Michael Peña).

"The Mule" is a drama directed and produced by Clint Eastwood based on a The New York Times article. The story of a 90 year-old veteran of war transporting drugs for the Mexican cartel has Clint Eastwood in the lead role and supported by great names in the cast and is attractive. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Mula" ("The Mule")

I was preparing an in-depth review, but this film doesn't deserve one.

The good: -Clint Eastwood -Supporting cast -Music score and soundtrack -A couple strong moments (Earl and Mary's last convo, Earl and Agent Bates' last convo)

The bad: -Shallow characters -Story lacks detail and complexity -Tonally uneven -The purpose and message of the film was conveyed in an unimaginative and cliche manner

If you love Eastwood, check it out. You might enjoy it. Sadly, his character is the only one with any nuance, substance, or layers. The plot is developed poorly without enough detail to make the viewer feel immersed or invested in what's going on.

Enjoyed the movie, a bit of a feel-good kind of movie about choices en regrets. Acting was good, but not great. I liked the music in the film, it added atmosphere and contrast with the though life of a drug kartel mule. Typical Clint Eastwood kind of movie. So if you like his movies you'll like this one, although it's no Grand Torino. For me, I found the storyline a bit shallow and seen something like this many times before. Didnt take away that I enjoyed, it just isnt a masterpiece in mh opinion

Without a doubt weather you love him or hate him Clint Eastwood is definitely one of the most iconic figures in movie cinema. Eastwood's ability to keep directing movies at near 90 years of age is just astonishing to me. While he's definitely slowed down his acting in the last decade (I figured Gran Torino would have been his sawn song) he actually managed to put out a baseball movie and now The Mule the true story of a 90 year old man who became the Mexican drug cartals best carrier. While critics have been rather skeptical towards the movie anyone who knows Eastwood can relate to the movie itself, the main story here is that Eastwood's character has never really been there for his family, which in turn has turned his ex wife and daughter against him. When one thinks it makes you wonder if this isn't a real play on Eastwood's real life. After all the man fathered at least 8 known children from 6 different women. I won't ramble on, but, there's enough comedic moments here to level out the dramatic moments. It's a role I believe Eastwood turned into a play on his actual life in some instances and if this is his swan song in acting then what a way to go.

When I heard of this film, first thing that came to mind was "wow look at this badass, Clint Eastwood still directing AND acting at 88 years old." Truth be told, his recent films haven't been that great. He's had some really memorable directorial works in the past but recent years haven't stuck out to me. I didn't expect much else with The Mule, it seemed like the type of film we would see from Eastwood; a biographical film that doesn't offer enough to its interesting story. Surprisingly, I really liked this film and its his best since Gran Torino.

The film is based on the true story of Leo Sharp, an 80+year old man who becomes a mule for the Sinaloa Cartel. The thing is no one expects it for so long. Even the DEA are stumped on who the mule could be. Eastwood plays Earl Stone (based on Sharp), a man who decides to make the money to not only better his own life but that of his estranged family, with whom he is trying to reconnect with. The dangers of the job are ever present and Stone must comply or face harsh consequences.

At first I was thinking that I wasn't feeling Eastwood in the role but then his cooky casually racist old white guy role pulled through and its actually pretty funny. This film is just funny and entertaining. Its about time Eastwood is able to bring a biopic that engages the audience and shows how interesting its subject matter really is. Its not technically amazing or anything but its a joy to watch Eastwood on his cross country journey and his nonchalant attitude and run in with the law, despite there being major consequences.

I'm not sure if the film will appeal the masses but I love seeing Clint Eastwood in film, even in his advancing years. So this was kind of a treat to see him pull this performance out of the bag and bring a film that is humorous and touching throughout. Even if Eastwood were to retire from acting and directing after this, I would say he would be going out on a very strong note. One of the pleasant surprise of the year, go see The Mule people.

7/10

The Mule is the definition of an Eastwood directed film.

Dont expect action packed. This is raw and real crime drama. There are some beautiful moments and always a strong moral. Definitely a must see!

A man nearing the centenarian mark in age, broke and losing his house to foreclosure, estranged from family, is offered a job that he can do and would enjoy: delivering packages by car across state lines. Asking no questions, he does as he is paid well to do, only later finding out that he is hauling large, record-breaking quantities of cocaine for a Mexican cartel and unbeknowst to him the DEA wants to meet him, the drug mule famously called Tata.

Hits:

Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino, Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby) playing drug mule Earl Stone, friendly, generous to others but not it seems to family, is believable. Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born (2018), American Sniper), Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix, Madiba) and Michael Pena (American Hustle, Million Dollar Baby) play the DEA agents who're after him. Cooper carries off the role, but for some reason its getting harder for me to decipher what he says, same problem I had watching him in A Star is Born. The rest of the also multi-awarded cast are equally exemplary at their jobs, including Dianne Wiest (The Birdcage, Bullets Over Broadway) and Andy Garcia (Oceans Eleven, The Godfather), seasoned veterans who without apparent effort easily play everyday people living everyday lives. Okay, maybe not Garcia.

Directed by Eastwood, it's an elegant re-enactment of a real life event.

Eastwood doesn't shy away from the aging process. Earl Stone is affectionately nicknamed Tata (grandfather), a reflection of the natural respect and care for the aging that is seen in Mexican or other world cultures, and is shown being taught how to text by the machine gun toting criminals.

At a time when we're inundated by franchised or re-told movies it's good to watch one that's original. The script from Nick Schenk (Gran Torino, The Judge) is based on a New York Times article by Sam Dolnick on "Leo Sharp, the most prolific drug mule that regional law enforcement had ever tracked."

Eastwood managed to address the alarming statistic of death by patrolman, particularly for men of colour.

Eastwood continues a long career as a story teller, doesn't let age stop him by creating a platform for himself. Because he still can.

Shows Mexican-Americans on both sides of the law, DEA agents versus drug dealers.

Misses:

Doesn't show the anxiety, panic, sadness or humbling that Earl, a hardworking Korean War veteran and celebrated Day Lily horticulturalist, experiences when he loses his house and farm, doesn't have money to survive and has to seek help from estranged family.

Doesn't show the legal defense preparation and the reason the judge ruled as he did.

Let's Take a Moment:

Not too long ago there were articles online on "how to travel the world for free" by becoming a courier. On the face of it, it may have been innocent in many cases. Nowadays it's the digital nomad lifestyle where you work from anywhere in the world and source jobs via online job sites. Who's to say that the Blue Daisy drug cartel can't hire you in Bora Bora and offer you what seems like an innocent IT job, but you're in actuality creating the cornerstone of a digital drug empire? Sometimes you just do what you have to do, if we all were to investigate employment leads before taking the job, the job would be long gone and bills would still be waiting.

If you were a 90-year-old man or woman, broke, living out of an old, dilapidated pickup truck only held together by prayer and sunshine, would you take a well-paying job, questions unasked, from a stranger? At that age you can't go back home to momma (probably in home care or deceased) until you get back on your feet. So yes it seems plausible to me that he took the job, didn't question the source, because he needed to eat.

Dialogue seemed awkward, unbelievable, and forced. There was some character development that just sort of stopped and never picked back up. Even the cinematography was awkward, following characters out of the room or watching them walk down a hallway at the end of a scene for no reason. I really enjoyed Gran Torino despite some of its cheesy parts, but The Mule just isn't a good movie. People who claim to love it were going to love it no matter what. Extremely disappointing.

63 years since he first appeared on-screen in an uncredited role in Revenge of the Creature (1955), The Mule is 88-year-old Clint Eastwood's first acting role since Trouble with the Curve (2012), and his first film as a director since about a week ago. It is, however, the first time he's directed himself since the excellent Gran Torino (2008). Known for being incredibly efficient when it comes to filmmaking, Eastwood likes to get scripts into production before they've gone through too many rewrites, he rigidly shoots only what's on the page, he avoids multiple takes and on-set experimentation, and he keeps the editing process as simple as possible - so basically, he's the anti-Terrence Malick. With this in mind, he has maintained an extraordinary rate of turnover, with The Mule the 37th feature he's directed since Play Misty for Me (1971).

Of course, when you work at that rate for as long as he has, you're going to put out a few duds, and although his directorial output has gone through ups and downs in the past, his most recent work has been arguably the most disappointing of his career, with pretty much everything he's directed since Gran Torino being subpar. Whether it's the hokey sentimentality of Hereafter (2010), the oversimplification (and awful makeup) of J. Edgar (2011), the lifeless Jersey Boys (2014), the unashamed and troubling jingoism of American Sniper (2014), the unnecessary embellishments of Sully (2016), or the spectacularly misjudged experiment in casting that was The 15:17 to Paris (2018), the days when he could direct no less than seven masterpieces - Unforgiven (1992), A Perfect World (1993), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), Mystic River (2003), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), and Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) - in a 14-year period are long gone. Indeed, the most notable thing he's done in the last decade is ramble somewhat incoherently to an empty chair.

The bad news is that The Mule is a strangely formless film, almost a collection of only vaguely connected scenes rather than an actual narrative with forward momentum; it has precious little depth or nuance; there's some troubling casual racism, most of which we're encouraged to laugh at; the tone is all over the place; Eastwood's character has not one, but two threesomes with young women; and it wastes almost all of its excellent cast. The good news is that, somehow, it's extremely enjoyable.

Telling the story of Earl Stone (Eastwood), a 90-year-old horticulturist and Korean War veteran, who becomes the Sinaloa Cartel's most prolific drug mule, the film is written by Nick Schenk, based on Sam Dolnick's 2014 New York Times article, "The Sinaloa Cartel's 90-Year-Old Drug Mule", which tells the story of Leo Sharp, a horticulturist and World War II veteran who became the Sinaloa Cartel's most reliable mule.

The first thing to be said about The Mule is that the trailer is misleading. Suggesting a tense, nail-biting thriller in which Stone is appalled to find out what he has been transporting, but is unable to back out of his deal, and must try to keep the Cartel on-side whilst evading the attention of the DEA, the trailer has next-to-no relationship with the actual film. It's not tense, Stone isn't overly concerned when he learns what's in the bags, and the very narrative structure means it's inevitable that the DEA will catch up to him sooner or later. It most certainly isn't the Michael Mann-esque crime thriller it's being advertised as. The Mule is laconic and contemplative, laid-back and not especially dramatic. Indeed, as drama, The Mule is fairly insubstantial, telling a threadbare story populated by underwritten characters, void of much of an emotional core, and with next-to-nothing in the way of a dénouement.

Eastwood plays Stone as full of regret, someone who knows he was a terrible husband and father, and who is attempting to make up for his mistakes with his daughter Iris (Alison Eastwood) by being there for his granddaughter Ginny (Taissa Farmiga). From a physical standpoint, Eastwood looks noticeably older than he did in Trouble with the Curve; he walks hunched over, he looks frail enough for a strong wind to knock him down, there's next-to-no meat on his arms. Almost all of that Eastwood-ruggedness is gone, and this is easily the most physically vulnerable we've ever seen him on screen.

In a lot of ways, Stone is not unlike Walt Kowalski, the hateful racist character Eastwood played in Gran Torino. They are both Korean War veterans who find themselves alienated from the world they live in, and who believe the next generation lack fortitude. However, Stone is much softer, and on the universal scale of racism, whereas Kowalski is Mel Gibson-racist, Stone is Prince Philip-racist; the type of racism we forgive because he's 837 years old, half-senile, and grew up "in a different time." Sure, he calls Hispanics "beaners" and jokes about them getting deported, but they don't seem to mind. Sure, he pulls over to help a black couple change a tire, proudly telling them he likes "to help the negro folks out", but they just politely inform him that people don't use the word "negro" anymore. These examples are played for laughs, and whilst that might be fair enough in a film that depicts non-Caucasians with something resembling diversity, The Mule's non-white characters are one-dimensional stereotypes; every Hispanic character, for example, is either a drug-running criminal or an industrious labourer. If the film itself didn't come across as so racially reductive, Stone's racism would be easier to accept and defend.

Perhaps the film's most egregious failing, however, is that it never once addresses the fact that Stone's criminal enterprise is fuelling addiction and destroying lives. The darker implications of his drug-running are kept firmly behind the curtain, out of sight of the audience. Instead, The Mule presents Stone as almost a modern-day Robin Hood, using his new-found cash to pay for Ginny's wedding and education, and to renovate the local VA hall. Even when the film has no option but to deal with his criminality, it's done in such a way as to minimise the darker aspects. For example, Laton (Andy Garcia), the head of the Cartel, may be the most jovial and least-threatening drug lord ever put on screen. García does what he can, but given the fact that most of his screen time sees him fooling about with a solid gold shotgun, his options are limited. A much more effective character is Gustavo (Clifton Collins Jr.), Laton's henchman. Collins Jr. is a superb actor, and can do legitimately intimidating in his sleep, but even an actor of his calibre can do little with only three scenes, in two of which he doesn't even have any dialogue.

Hand-in-hand with the film's non-threatening drug runners is its depiction of local law enforcement, who are, for the most part, presented sarcastically (at one point, Stone distracts a pesky cop with a tub of caramel popcorn). A key scene in relation to the film's depiction of both law-enforcement and minorities, but one which is disappointingly played for laughs, is when the cops pull over who they think is their man only to quickly realise their mistake (it's a young Hispanic) and they're guilty of racial profiling. The man is terrified, well aware of stats concerning police shootings of non-whites (there's something deeply unsettling about how well he knows the routine, and his line, "statistically speaking, this is the most dangerous five minutes of my life" speaks volumes about modern America). The scene should have given rise to a socio-political commentary but Eastwood is more interested in guffaws. We've seen racial profiling and resultant deaths examined in several recent films - Widows (2018), The Hate U Give (2018), and Monsters and Men (2018) - as well as older titles such as Crash (2004) and Fruitvale Station (2013), but the depiction here is very shallow.

Another issue is that the film's structure is bizarre - there's no real sense of narrative cohesion, as one scene jumps to another without a huge amount connecting them. You could take the various driving scenes, cut them in a completely different manner, and you would still have the same film. The whole thing feels void of urgency, and after a while you realise that the threadbare outline of a story is all the story you're going to get. Additionally, there's an utter lack of tension, and the way Eastwood's camera leers at the bare posteriors of a bunch of women at a party in Laton's house is disconcerting, and pretty much a textbook example of the male gaze. Also, with the single exception of Stone, the characters are one-dimensional at best.

However, irrespective of these failings, I thoroughly enjoyed The Mule. It could and should have been a lot better. It could have been a socially conscious thriller looking at racial profiling, drug-dealing, American masculinity, generational conflict, socio-economic issues. But, in fairness, that isn't the film Eastwood set out to make. He has made many interesting political films in his career. The Mule is not one of them. Instead, he's turned the material into a jaunty, congenial, inoffensive, and easy-to-watch meditation on age and family, set in a milieu where the one-time trappings of male success are now considered character failings, and focused on a character unable to wrap his brain around this shift in ideology. Despite myself, I can forgive the casual racism, the structural problems, the wasted cast, the use of serious social issues to get cheap laughs, and I can do so because the film is simply enjoyable. The Mule isn't going to change your life, nor is it going to win Eastwood a legion of new fans. But it was never supposed to. Instead, it accomplishes exactly what it set out to do. And it's immensely entertaining to boot.