MovieChat Forums > The Mule (2018) Discussion > What was wrong with this old man?

What was wrong with this old man?

posted 5 years ago by Heisenberg (6281)
6 replies | jump to latest

The movie doesn't take much of a stand against or in favor of his actions.
We all know it's wrong, but he keeps humming his songs like he's delivering the morning milk bottles.
At the end he understands his wrongdoing (all of it) and accepts he's guilty.
What do you think his thought process was while doing this?

I have a few ideas:
1-I'm so old I don't care anymore, even if they catch me
2-I'll just get some money and then stop
3-Somebody else will do it in my place, so it's not that bad
4-I need the money, whatever it takes
5-I don't care about anybody else in the planet, as long as I do what I want
6-I'll use this money for good deeds (like charity donations or buying hoes)

[–] NoEasyBuckets (332) 5 years ago

I honestly don't think they even dug deep beneath the surface of the main character when writing/making the movie. His motivations seem to be so basic. He wants money for his family, money for his club, etc. On his first run he doesn't even blink when a guy is holding a machine gun in front of him, yet he acts surprised later when he checks the bag and finds drugs. They go out of their way to show that he's still sharp and not a senile old man, but there's never any kind of inner struggle of should I be doing this or am I putting my family in danger? I think that would have been more interesting.

[–] Heisenberg (6281) 5 years ago

Yes that's my opinion too, the movie has an interesting premise but it never explores it.
Like you said they make sure we get he's not an imbecile nor senile, but to me that's exactly what he looks like by the end of the movie because he knows what he's doing but there's no questions in his head.

Rather than this superficial drama, I would have even preferred a funny take, like a cheerful mr magoo that doesn't realize he's spreading tons of poison in his community.

[–] DaveBowman2001 (467) 5 years ago

Kind of your typical drug running movie like this.
I'll do this once, because my friend asked me to
The first delivery was so easy and the $$$ so much, I'll just do one more and I can buy a new truck.
This is so easy, I'll just keep doing it.
Once you're in, you can't quit
If I get pulled over, I'll just keep kettle corn in the trunk to buy off the cops
The Boss loves me
I can afford two chicks at once, this is amazing!

It's all fun and games til someone gets greedy.
Boss gets eliminated
Chaos and Carelessness ensues.

It was an ok watch, but the entire story was a bit hard to swallow.

[–] melholden (96) 5 years ago

I don't think it ever entered his mind that the drugs would be sold to drug addicts and mess up peoples' minds/lives. He knew it was illegal from the beginning, but he chose to not ponder his actions. He hadn't put people first during his lifetime, and now he had the chance to - by giving money, lots of money, to them. He became the hero at the rebuilt bar hang out. He just saw how his life was improving, and I don't think he chose to look more deeply at the broad ramifications that running drugs would result in.

[–] noveltylibrary65 (200) 5 years ago

>>I'll use this money for good deeds (like charity donations or buying hoes)

He did need garden tools so I'll pick this one lol

[–] Heisenberg (6281) 5 years ago

Yes he needed all kinds of hoes this old dirty man