The Mule (2018)

The Mule (2018)

6/10

Starring

Clint Eastwood

Bradley Cooper

Laurence Fishburne

Michael Peña

Directed by Clint Eastwood

The last time we saw Eastwood in a lead-starring role in a movie was in 2008’s Gran Torino, the movie back then was fun and great seeing Eastwood play a some sort hero. Here in this movie he is the mule. Yeap, the movie is about Eastwood playing a drug mule. I want to believe everyone reading this is aware of what a drug mule is, those are the people who take drugs from the makers to the retailers.

The movie is fun and the idea of his character not allowing himself to be intimidated and being prepared to stand his ground was just exciting to see. It is not one of the best movies that he has done as this movie had some dull moments and too many emphasis were on his relationship with his family when the excitement itself was in his new job.

Eastwood directed, starred and produced this movie which is based on The New York Times article "The Sinaloa Cartel's 90-Year-Old Drug Mule" by Sam Dolnick, which recounts the story of a World War II veteran who became a drug courier in his 80s.

Here was the plot, Eastwood’s character is an award-winning horticulturist, who has fallen on bad times in his business. Growing and caring for flowers is his life and his bad times meant he was deprived of what he loved most in his life. Add to that, he is divorced after being married for ten years and estranged from his daughter which we see him miss her wedding to be at a horticulture engagement.

When his grand daughter was getting married though he promised to assist financially, but with the lack of money and his too obvious show of it, he and his ex-wife had a shout out at their grand daughter’s party. A stranger hearing the shout approached him with an offer – he was to call a number as the people on the other side were looking for a driver who can be under the radar. The idea of being able to make money driving and support his grand daughter made him take the offer. He made the call and became a drug courier.

Soon his personality made it easy for him to make friends with the drug lords. And his wit made it easy for him to get pass the police and any other obstruction so he can deliver on the goods.

Things like this always go south and when they do, they go fast. A change in leadership was the beginning of the end for our friend’s new money making business.

The Mule is not a super fantastic movie, it is not a bad movie either. I enjoyed it, but the length of the movie and the too many dull moments can be a turn off to those who like their movie delivered sharp and straight.