Yesterday evening, at a local theater, Katherine and I watched The Mule (2018), which stars 88-year-old Clint Eastwood. On a superficial level, I enjoyed the movie. I liked the Western scenery; I liked the small towns; and I enjoyed watching and listening to Eastwood, who is one of my favorite actors. But the plot sucked. When the movie ended, I was shocked by all the loose ends. Why didn't the bad guys get their comeuppance? What was going to happen to Eastwood's character (Earl) in prison? Would the drug cartel get to him? How did Earl's face get bloodied? Some reviewers on Reddit complained about Earl's "racism" and "homophobia." Jesus christ. It's a movie! Are we so sensitive that we can't (or don't want to) see depictions of racism and homophobia? Some people have no understanding of the difference between fact and fiction, or else they insist that fiction conform to their political values. These people are the new puritans. That said, I would not watch this movie again, and I will not purchase it on DVD, as I do many of the movies I watch in the theater. Once is enough. Maybe too many.
Here is the trailer.
