The Mule

This based-on-a-true-crime drama is 88-year-old Clint Eastwood’s 37th film as a director. He also stars as a crusty curmudgeon who starts running drugs for a Mexican cartel to pay off debts. An avid horticulturalist, Earl Stone (Eastwood) has always spent more time cultivating his flowers than his family. As a result, he has disappointed his ex-wife (Dianne Wiest) and bitterly disillusioned daughter (Alison Eastwood). Earl’s work--growing, hybridizing, and selling daylilies--has been ruined by the Internet. When his house is repossessed and he can’t pay for his granddaughter’s (Taissa Farmiga) wedding, Earl needs to do something--quick. That opportunity arises when, due to his perfect driving record (no tickets, ever), Earl is recruited to transport a package from Illinois to Texas. Unknowingly rattling along in his beat-up truck, he enjoys pop music on the radio, stopping along the way for a pulled-pork sandwich and companionship. Since no one would suspect this sociable old codger of cocaine-smuggling, one successful run leads to another. Earl becomes known as dependable “Tata,” and he enjoys having cash while singlehandedly financing the rebuilding of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars hall. But when Earl is wined and dined by the Sinaloa Cartel’s kingpin (Andy Garcia), it arouses the suspicion of the boss’s #2 man (Ignacio Serricchio). Meanwhile, Chicago-based DEA agents (Bradley Cooper, Michael Peña) are urged by their quota-hungry superior (Laurence Fishburne) to capture this elusive criminal. Inspired by Sam Dolnick’s New York Times article about WWII vet Leo Sharp, The Mule suffers somewhat from supporting characters that lack depth, but this should appeal to Eastwood fans. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the music video “Don’t Let the Old Man In” by Toby Keith (3 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a “Nobody Runs Forever” making-of featurette (11 min.) and bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a small extras package for this solid Eastwood drama.] (S. Granger)