The Mule is a 2018 drama about a 90-year-old horticulturist and Korean War veteran is caught transporting $3 million worth of cocaine through Michigan for a Mexican drug cartel.
Well, it’s safe to say that Clint Eastwood has rebounded from his earlier 2018 directorial effort, The 15:17 to Paris. Moving forward you can be sure that Eastwood will be filling out his casts with top notch talent, and steering clear of using the actual people involved in true events. Despite The Mule being much better than his previous effort, it still leaves a lot to be desired. The main issue with the film comes from how it’s marketed and titled. You may step into the theater expecting a thrilling story about a renowned drug mule for the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, but what you get is the story of an old man struggling at the end of his life who just wants to be embraced by his estranged family. While The Mule is far from an exciting watch, it’s an interesting true story that Eastwood brings a certain light-heartedness to that seems to work.
The film starts by introducing Earl Stone (Eastwood). He’s a horticulturist in his early 80’s that is loving life. He runs an award winning flower farm, and is well-respected within the horticulture community. Flash forward a decade and Stone has come to a point in his life where he has lost everything. His flower operation closed due to competition with the internet, and his neglected ex-wife and daughter despise him.
At an engagement dinner for his granddaughter, Ginny (Taissa Farmiga), a man approaches him and asks if he’d like to take on some work as a courier. Stone, being down on his luck and unable to chip in for Ginny’s wedding, is all too happy to take on the work, despite having virtually no idea what it is. He’s given instructions to head to a car garage in Texas, where his truck is loaded with some drugs that he’s instructed to drop off at a hotel. The operation goes off without a hitch, and Stone continues running drugs for the cartel.
It’s not long before Stone is the top drug mule for the branch of the cartel he’s running for. The head of the cartel, Laton (Andy Garcia), even flies Stone down to his mansion in Mexico, eager to meet his best mule. All the while DEA Agent Colin Bates (Bradley Cooper) and his partner (Michael Pena) start to get hot on Stone’s tail through an informant they have in the cartel. The cartel also makes some internal changes and crack down on Stone’s movements. Now Stone is stuck in the middle of a cartel that will kill him on a whim, and the DEA that is right on his heels.
There are a few twists and turns throughout Eastwood’s pic, but in all honesty, there isn’t a whole lot of substance to it. In order to bolster the plot, Eastwood really harps on the family aspect, and gets you to root for this poor, old man who is alienated from his family (and has you overlook the fact that he’s aiding in the success one of the largest drug cartels). While there are some touching moments throughout as Stone starts to win back his family, it’s not quite enough to really captivate the audience. The best thing that this movie has going for it is the fact that it’s a true story, and keeps you thinking, “huh, crazy that this really happened,” throughout.
It could be because I’ve been riding somewhat of a Bradley Cooper high ever since A Star is Born was released, but I could’ve used more of him here. The main reason I would’ve liked more is because it would’ve meant more backstory about all the DEA work that went into taking down this operation. On that same note, there are usually some interesting inner-workings of the cartels themselves, and the horrors they carry out to ensure the continuation of their operation. So, it would’ve been nice to see more of Garcia and how he handled the security of his cartel as well. Eastwood chose to instead focus on Stone himself, showing him carry out his casual mule work with a bit of humor, as he drives along singing old tunes without a care in the world. While all of that is good for a chuckle here or a gasp there, it leaves you feeling that the best part of the story has yet to be told.
There’s something to be said about drug movies that are based on true stories. Something about them is utterly fascinating and can really captivate the audience if done correctly. If you look at movies like Blow or American Made, they are a ton of fun and contain a plethora of unbelievable stories. The Mule, while interesting, really doesn’t carry the same level of excitement that you get from the aforementioned flicks, which is why it will never be in the conversation of classic drug movies. Eastwood does a nice job telling the story of a man trying desperately to reconnect with his family, but if you’re looking for much more than that you’re sure to be disappointed.