Solid filmmaking on a universal evil

Rating: 9/10 (5 February 2018)

MUDBOUND (2017) ***1/2 Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Mary J. Blige, Jason Mitchell, Jonathan Banks, Rob Morgan, Kerry Cahill, Dylan Arnold, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lucy Faust, Samantha Hoefer. Excellent adaptation of Hillary Jordan's novel about 2 families - one white, one black - sharing farm land and crops and lives together, for better and (sadly) worse during the WW II era. In the aftermath things radically change - namely the bond between Hedlund and Mitchell, veterans who have deep scars each attempt to balm. Filmmaker Dee Rees - who co-scripted the adaptation with Virgil Williams - has a keen eye and allows each of her characters moments to shine, especially Mulligan and Blige (well deserved Oscar nomination too) as women whose still waters run deep. Amazing cinematography by Rachel Morrison also richly garnered for her nomination and a chamber musical score by Tamar-kali underscores the underpinnings of racism and familial love.