Clint Eastwood knows how to tell a story. Clint Eastwood is a wonderful aging actor and a producer and a director. Eastwood is almost 89 years old, and he continues to be active, to act and to share his life experience, wisdom and knowledge through his films.
The Mule, a 2018 crime drama, is Eastwood's latest movie, produced and directed by him. He also plays the lead role of "Earl Stone", an aging American man. Along with Eastwood, some well known Hollywood stars also play in the movie, such as Bradley Cooper, Laurence Fishburne, Dianne Wiest, and Andy Garcia.
The plot is quite simplistic: an aging Earl Stone (Eastwood), is a war veteran and an award winning flower grower. He is estranged from his ex-wife and his daughter as he always puts work before family. Due to his financial difficulties he becomes a driver (or a "mule"), transporting cocaine for the Mexican cartel. Due to his age (ageism?) and race, he does not make any suspicion, and very quickly becomes trusted to deliver huge amounts of drugs. He is also paid very well, which allows him not only to pay for his granddaughter's wedding and education, but also do other good deeds to his community. At the same time, Federal agents are trying to crack down on the Mexican cartel, which Earl, has become one of their key "mules". The movie basically follows Earl until his eventual end....(which you'll need to see the movie to know)...
Clint Eastwood has now become one of the leading gerontological film producers, especially for films that he is also staring (e.g. Gran Torino, or Trouble With the Curve).
While "The Mule" is certainly an enjoyable movie, and Eastwood is certainly playing well, as a gerontological movie it not more than a simple OK movie. The gerontological messages are very simplistic (i.e. family is more important than work; it is never too late to fix family relationships), and the hero is certainly an example of "active aging.". There are also some ironic representations of ageism (e.g., how law enforcement stereo-typically misjudge older adults. Yet, none of this is to be really thought-provoking, and nothing of this goes beyond the already well known gerontological box.
Bottom line: see it for fun, but no real use in gerontological classes.
USA
Year: 2018
Director: Clint Eastwood
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