THE MULE: Eastwood Charms In This Self-Reflective, Poignant & Entertaining Crime Drama

The Mule is a film that reminded me (and likely many movie-goers as well), just why Clint Eastwood has retained his reputation as a star, even after all these years. Both in front of and behind the camera, Eastwood has played iconic roles, directed some standout entries, and though his politics are occasionally problematic (see: American Sniper), it’s hard not to adore the legacy he has created all the same.

But even more than his continuing star status, The Mule does something even more unexpected: it stays level-headed. It’s not some Scarface-like unrealistic rise to stardom, but instead something far more self-reflective, both of Eastwood‘s personal reputation and of the reputation he has carved through his onscreen personas. It is a fitting and celebratory final outing (if it is that) for the director/star.

The World’s Oldest Drug Mule

The Mule focuses on Earl Stone (Eastwood), a 90-year-old horticulturist. In an early scene, it is clear that not only has he hit recent financial troubles, having lost his business, but he is also estranged from his family, having been turned away at his granddaughter’s (Taissa Farmiga) engagement party. Soon thereafter, a man approaches him and inquires whether Earl would be interested in an opportunity: all that he would have to do is drive drugs from the Mexican border to Illinois. Knowing that he could potentially ease both his financial burdens and provide for his family at the same time, Earl reluctantly agrees.

Many trips later, Earl has become one of the most prolific drug mules for the Mexican drug cartel, earning extensive money for himself and also providing for both family and friends in need. Unfortunately, though, his acts have also captured the eye of the DEA, including agent Colin Bates (Bradley Cooper) and his partner Trevino (Michael Peña). Earl is soon faced with a difficult decision when it is evident that his ill-gotten career has gotten out of hand, while at the same time the DEA is coming ever-closer.

Unavoidable Charm

Based on a New York Times article about a man named Leo Sharp, The Mule almost seems to be the perfect vehicle for Eastwood, both as a director and as a star. As a man who has become both famous for his movies and infamous for his political beliefs and personal life, it seems in more ways than one that the man was a perfect vehicle for Eastwood.

Yet, as mentioned earlier, it is the way that Eastwood approaches the character that I appreciated. The man still has machismo and masculinity that most of us could only dream of, even at nearly 90-years-old, yet above all, his Earl is just likable, and in a sympathetic way. He oozes charm, and many of the highlights of the film come as he simply hits the open road, blasting and singing along to hits like Hank Snow‘s “I’ve Been Everywhere, Man” and Willie Nelson‘s “On the Road Again,” fitting songs for a life spent on the road.

Perhaps unavoidably, and unfortunately so, Earl is also a relic of a bygone generation, whose casual relations to people of color and women is problematic, to say the least. But even if Eastwood shares some of the same beliefs as Earl, it’s the way in which he overcomes them as the film progresses that allows us to still be fully behind his progression and arc as a character. It’s not entirely out-of-place to think of Eastwood looking in at Earl, seeing himself, and hoping that it’s not too late to change.

Earl has a strained relationship with his ex-wife (wonderfully portrayed by Dianne Wiest) and his estranged daughter (played by his actual daughter Alison Eastwood), which leads him to rethink his relationships while in his twilight years. It’s for this reason, not for the thrill of it, that he decides to engage in a career as a drug mule, seeing no other viable options. He engages in wrongful activity, but it’s for the right reasons, and there’s something wholly real and human about that.

In addition to this sympathetic portrayal, Eastwood also approaches the material, written by Nick Schenk, who also penned Gran Torino, with a modest precision. The film is relatively short on violence, never going in far-off, unbelievable directions, and even when you think it’s going to go somewhere big, he reels it in instead. After years of gunfights and going out with a bang, including within The Outlaw Josey Wales, Unforgiven, and even Gran Torino, it’s so refreshing to just see a story go in a level-headed and self-aware direction instead.

Shortcomings

While Eastwood‘s Earl is out hitting the road on drug runs, it’s to be expected that there will be law enforcement on the other side, hunting him down. It’s here, though, that some of the unevenness of The Mule becomes more evident. Bradley Cooper‘s Colin Bates is a career-motivated DEA agent intent on stopping the spread of drugs by the Mexican cartel. The film clearly attempts to setup his character in juxtaposition to Earl, who has similarly focused on his career, yet there is not nearly enough development here.

Instead, nearly every scene with the DEA is straight out of a procedural drama, with the typical hard-edged superior, played by Laurence Fishburne, and a wisecracking partner, played by Michael Peña. Cue the cookie-cutter scenarios you would expect to see: the good cop, bad cop interrogation; the just-missed him moment; the unexpected meet-up with the person you’re hunting but aren’t aware of yet; etc. It’s just a little too on-the-nose, and for a film that often subverts expectations, it’s a shame this section of the story doesn’t follow suit.

Conclusion: The Mule

Whether or not The Mule is Eastwood‘s final film, either as star or director, it’s a worthy one to go out on. It’s a film that, much like this year’s earlier The Old Man and the Gun, might be remembered more for its star than the story surrounding it, but it’s surprisingly poignant and emotionally resonant as well.

Eastwood has earned, and here cements, his status as one of the all-time greats, and even if he is still most remembered for his older Westerns, this is still a wonderful callback to his career as a whole. And if he does come back with another film, I’ll be eagerly anticipating it all the same.

What are your thoughts on The Mule? Are you a fan of late-career Clint Eastwood? Tell us in the comments below!

The Mule was released in US theaters on December 14, 2018 and will be released in the UK on January 25, 2019. For all international release dates, see here.