A man nearing the centenarian mark in age, broke and losing his house to foreclosure, estranged from family, is offered a job that he can do and would enjoy: delivering packages by car across state lines. Asking no questions, he does as he is paid well to do, only later finding out that he is hauling large, record-breaking quantities of cocaine for a Mexican cartel and unbeknowst to him the DEA wants to meet him, the drug mule famously called Tata.
Hits:
Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino, Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby) playing drug mule Earl Stone, friendly, generous to others but not it seems to family, is believable. Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born (2018), American Sniper), Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix, Madiba) and Michael Pena (American Hustle, Million Dollar Baby) play the DEA agents who're after him. Cooper carries off the role, but for some reason its getting harder for me to decipher what he says, same problem I had watching him in A Star is Born. The rest of the also multi-awarded cast are equally exemplary at their jobs, including Dianne Wiest (The Birdcage, Bullets Over Broadway) and Andy Garcia (Oceans Eleven, The Godfather), seasoned veterans who without apparent effort easily play everyday people living everyday lives. Okay, maybe not Garcia.
Directed by Eastwood, it's an elegant re-enactment of a real life event.
Eastwood doesn't shy away from the aging process. Earl Stone is affectionately nicknamed Tata (grandfather), a reflection of the natural respect and care for the aging that is seen in Mexican or other world cultures, and is shown being taught how to text by the machine gun toting criminals.
At a time when we're inundated by franchised or re-told movies it's good to watch one that's original. The script from Nick Schenk (Gran Torino, The Judge) is based on a New York Times article by Sam Dolnick on "Leo Sharp, the most prolific drug mule that regional law enforcement had ever tracked."
Eastwood managed to address the alarming statistic of death by patrolman, particularly for men of colour.
Eastwood continues a long career as a story teller, doesn't let age stop him by creating a platform for himself. Because he still can.
Shows Mexican-Americans on both sides of the law, DEA agents versus drug dealers.
Misses:
Doesn't show the anxiety, panic, sadness or humbling that Earl, a hardworking Korean War veteran and celebrated Day Lily horticulturalist, experiences when he loses his house and farm, doesn't have money to survive and has to seek help from estranged family.
Doesn't show the legal defense preparation and the reason the judge ruled as he did.
Let's Take a Moment:
Not too long ago there were articles online on "how to travel the world for free" by becoming a courier. On the face of it, it may have been innocent in many cases. Nowadays it's the digital nomad lifestyle where you work from anywhere in the world and source jobs via online job sites. Who's to say that the Blue Daisy drug cartel can't hire you in Bora Bora and offer you what seems like an innocent IT job, but you're in actuality creating the cornerstone of a digital drug empire? Sometimes you just do what you have to do, if we all were to investigate employment leads before taking the job, the job would be long gone and bills would still be waiting.
If you were a 90-year-old man or woman, broke, living out of an old, dilapidated pickup truck only held together by prayer and sunshine, would you take a well-paying job, questions unasked, from a stranger? At that age you can't go back home to momma (probably in home care or deceased) until you get back on your feet. So yes it seems plausible to me that he took the job, didn't question the source, because he needed to eat.
Hits:
Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino, Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby) playing drug mule Earl Stone, friendly, generous to others but not it seems to family, is believable. Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born (2018), American Sniper), Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix, Madiba) and Michael Pena (American Hustle, Million Dollar Baby) play the DEA agents who're after him. Cooper carries off the role, but for some reason its getting harder for me to decipher what he says, same problem I had watching him in A Star is Born. The rest of the also multi-awarded cast are equally exemplary at their jobs, including Dianne Wiest (The Birdcage, Bullets Over Broadway) and Andy Garcia (Oceans Eleven, The Godfather), seasoned veterans who without apparent effort easily play everyday people living everyday lives. Okay, maybe not Garcia.
Directed by Eastwood, it's an elegant re-enactment of a real life event.
Eastwood doesn't shy away from the aging process. Earl Stone is affectionately nicknamed Tata (grandfather), a reflection of the natural respect and care for the aging that is seen in Mexican or other world cultures, and is shown being taught how to text by the machine gun toting criminals.
At a time when we're inundated by franchised or re-told movies it's good to watch one that's original. The script from Nick Schenk (Gran Torino, The Judge) is based on a New York Times article by Sam Dolnick on "Leo Sharp, the most prolific drug mule that regional law enforcement had ever tracked."
Eastwood managed to address the alarming statistic of death by patrolman, particularly for men of colour.
Eastwood continues a long career as a story teller, doesn't let age stop him by creating a platform for himself. Because he still can.
Shows Mexican-Americans on both sides of the law, DEA agents versus drug dealers.
Misses:
Doesn't show the anxiety, panic, sadness or humbling that Earl, a hardworking Korean War veteran and celebrated Day Lily horticulturalist, experiences when he loses his house and farm, doesn't have money to survive and has to seek help from estranged family.
Doesn't show the legal defense preparation and the reason the judge ruled as he did.
Let's Take a Moment:
Not too long ago there were articles online on "how to travel the world for free" by becoming a courier. On the face of it, it may have been innocent in many cases. Nowadays it's the digital nomad lifestyle where you work from anywhere in the world and source jobs via online job sites. Who's to say that the Blue Daisy drug cartel can't hire you in Bora Bora and offer you what seems like an innocent IT job, but you're in actuality creating the cornerstone of a digital drug empire? Sometimes you just do what you have to do, if we all were to investigate employment leads before taking the job, the job would be long gone and bills would still be waiting.
If you were a 90-year-old man or woman, broke, living out of an old, dilapidated pickup truck only held together by prayer and sunshine, would you take a well-paying job, questions unasked, from a stranger? At that age you can't go back home to momma (probably in home care or deceased) until you get back on your feet. So yes it seems plausible to me that he took the job, didn't question the source, because he needed to eat.