A 90-year-old horticulturist and Korean War veteran is caught transporting $3 million worth of cocaine through Illinois for a Mexican drug cartel.
Even at 88, Clint Eastwood can still crank out a hit. He might walk a little slower and he might be a little hunched over, but he can still command the screen with that voice and charisma that made him a star.
“The Mule” is based on a magazine article that tells the true story of Earl Stone (Eastwood), a divorced Peoria, Illinois horticulturist, who is crusty, headstrong, and tells a few jokes, but he provides a quick twinkle of the eye to show you that he doesn’t really mean what he says. Earl just likes to get people riled up with no real intent to be mean or cause problems.
We learn that Earl has never been a good father or husband. Instead, he had dedicated his whole life to his first love and that wasn’t his family, it was his love for his work. That work was traveling to flower shows where he would hang out with his pals. However, his business is foreclosed upon and he decides that it is time to try and make amends with his family.
Stone understand that he is getting close to the end, so he wants to start making amends with his family. His first attempt to make amends is by purchasing booze for his granddaughter Ginny’s (Taissa Farmiga) wedding. However, his ex-wife, Mary (Dianne Wiest), knows that it’s just one of many promises Earl won’t be able to keep. It is at the rehearsal dinner, that a stranger overhears Earl talking about his spotless driving record. That is when the stranger tells Earl that he can earn quick and easy money by driving his pickup back and forth carrying a deliberately vague package. Earl agrees to do this and it is then, he becomes an unwitting mule for one of Mexico’s biggest and most deadly drug cartels.
This seems to be a good fit for both the cartel and Earl, as he is able to purchase his foreclosed home back. After all, who’d expect a senior citizen to be trafficking? Then comes along two DEA agents, (Bradley Cooper and Michael Pena) that are facing huge pressure to stop the flood of drugs coming into the U.S. Earl finally sees what is going on, but decides to keep going to support his family and friends. As you might imagine, it is only a matter of time before he is caught.
Overall, I truly enjoyed the film. I thought the song at the very end of the movie by Toby Keith (“Don’t Let the Old Man In”), was a perfect close to the film. Usually, songs in a film do not make an impact like this one did. It was nice to see Clint Eastwood on the big screen once again, his presence is always a welcome sight.
Now playing nationwide in theaters
