THE MULE (15)
CLINT EASTWOOD directs and stars in a gently paced thriller inspired by a true story.
Korean War veteran Earl Stone (Eastwood) used to be a cause celebre in horticultural circles, but he failed to move with the times by investing in an online marketplace for his gold medal-winning lilies.
The bank has foreclosed on Earl’s home, a once-blooming business has wilted and his worldly possessions are crammed into the back of his pickup truck. An associate of Earl’s granddaughter (Taissa Farmiga) provides the old timer with a deceptively simple way to dig himself out of a financial hole.
“I have friends looking for cautious drivers like you,” explains the young man.
Earl agrees to courier a bag across state lines which contains a consignment of drugs for cigar-puffing cartel boss Laton (Andy Garcia).
As an elderly driver with an unblemished record, Earl is ignored by police and he is rewarded for his services.
The volume of cocaine increases on subsequent runs until Earl is the most profitable mule in Laton’s stable, earning him the nickname Tata.
Newfound wealth rebuilds bridges to embittered ex-wife Mary (Dianne Wiest) and estranged daughter Iris (Alison Eastwood).
Meanwhile, DEA agent Colin Bates (Bradley Cooper) and partner Trevino (Michael Pena) receive intelligence about a mule called Tata and begin a stakeout.