61. The Mule; movie review

THE MULE
Cert 15
116 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language, sexualised nudity

Ten years ago when Clint Eastwood starred in the brilliant Gran Torino it appeared likely that it was his swansong in front of the camera.
In 2009, he was playing a Korean war veteran who was afraid of nobody even the gangs who had been inflicting violence in his neighbourhood.
A decade on, at the age of 88, he is portraying..... a Korean war veteran who is afraid of......
Yes, I saw reminders of Gran Torino sprinkled throughout The Mule but I, and I suspect the gaggle of grey-haired folk at Derby Odeon, enjoyed it, nevertheless.
Eastwood's Earl Stone has dedicated his life to growing and selling award-winning flowers at the expense of his family.
Thus, he is estranged from his wife (Dianne Wiest) and no longer on speaking terms with his daughter (his real-life offspring, Alison).
But his real heartbreak comes when internet delivery spells doom for his business which is subject to foreclosure along with his home.
With money running out, he agrees to be a courier for a group of dodgy characters and asks no questions about his cargo.
The job becomes so lucrative and the work so intoxicating that he finally realises he has become a regular drug runner - at the age of 90.
This is Eastwood at his cool best - draped with women, refusing to bow down to anyone else's intimidation and maintaining that unique glint.
His only potential obstacle is in the form of the FBI inevstigators who are trying to shut down Chicago's drug supply,
Bradley Cooper and Michael Peña team up to try to get the bust and Laurence Fishburne is their under-pressure boss.
Meanwhile Andy Garcia is the fun-loving but ruthless head of the Mexican cartel which has made Stone their driver-in-chief.
Eastwood has long directed movies in which he is the stars but we should still bear in mind how difficult it is to carry off both roles effectively.
The added element is that he is 88! The energy he must have used to make The Mule would have tested anyone half his age.
Soon, time will dictate that we will have to do without his brilliance on the big screen. We will be all the poorer for it.

Reasons to watch: Clint Eastwood being cool at 88
Reasons to avoid: A tad similar to Gran Torino

Laughs: Three
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 9/10

Did you know? The Mule's screenplay is based on the true story of Leo Sharp, a World War II veteran in his 80s who became a drug courier for the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel.

The final word. Clint Eastwood: "All of a sudden, I started thinking, 'Well, it might be kind of fun to play a guy who was even older than me."

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