“The Mule”

I could not wait to rush out to see Clint Eastwood’s most recent, and perhaps his last motion picture.  Eastwood stars in and directs “The Mule”.  It’s a far cry from “Two Mules for Sister Sara” which starred Shirley MacLaine opposite him nearly fifty years ago.  

As I settled in to review this recent offering I was astounded at the body of Clint Eastwood’s work.  It’s unbelievable.  I feel like I grew up watching him which is likely because I did.  I vividly recall watching him religiously on TV as Rowdy Yates in “Rawhide”.  I was twelve or thirteen.  I became a huge fan of his when Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns hit the big screen.  I didn’t miss any of these featuring “The Man with No Name”.  “Fist Full of Dollars”, “For a Few Dollars More”, and one of the greats, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”. 

He went on to wow us in many more terrific westerns and moved on to play the unflinching tough detective, Harry Callahan in “Dirty Harry” and others.  His directorial debut was a terrific chiller, “Play Misty for Me”, starring Jessica Walter as the obsessed fan of Eastwood, a late night radio DJ.  There is no question that this effort paved the way for him to eventually become an A list director.  He garnered Best Picture and Best  Director Oscars for the brilliant “Unforgiven” and “Million Dollar Baby”.

His work spans over sixty years and he doesn’t seem to have had a dry spell.  If that’s not enough he’s also a pianist and composer and indeed wrote the score for several of his films.  Off camera he has had a wild ride as well.  He has quite a few children by a number of wives and non marital relationships.  Several are in the business and one of his sons is a jazz bassist.  

During a conversation with friends recently his name came up and we all made guesses at his age.  No one came real close.  He will be eighty-nine in May, 2019!  We should all be as prolific as Mr. Eastwood.  He humbles me to say the least.

Okay, I digressed; back to “The Mule”.  Eastwood cast himself as a 90 year old horticulturist, Earl Stone, who specializes in day lilies.  He’s quite good at it, even a perennial award winner but the times and the internet put him out of business.  An opportunity to make some serious cash just by doing a little driving presents itself and off Earl goes.  

He is perfect in the role, and the casting of the incomparable Diane Wiest as his ex wife was a brilliant move.  She once again delivers a beautiful performance.  His real life daughter Alison plays, what else, his daughter.  She’s not real fond of dear old Dad for lots of good reasons.  Laurence Fishburne, Andy Garcia, and Michael Pena are solid in supporting roles. 

What I enjoyed most about the film was Earl’s old man bantering with everyone he encounters, from cops to violent criminals, to ladies of the evening and everyone in between.  He seems to take life as it comes even as he fails to take time to examine his own.  For me the absolute highlights of the movie occur between Wiest and Eastwood, two consummate professionals.  She has won two Oscars for supporting roles in Woody Allen’s “Hannah and Her Sisters” and “Bullets Over Broadway”.

This will not go down as Clint Eastwood’s finest work on or off screen.  However, at the ripe age of eight-eight he delivers a fun yet moving film, while letting us see him work one more time.  I for one am thankful.