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Oh, I agree, AKA. That was one of my main problems with the movie (really, only my only major one). It was as if at first the money made everything OK again ("You came here because you're broke and don't have anywhere to go? Get out!" "Oh, now you have money and want to pay for nice things for us? We love you!"), and then they couldn't be bothered to blame him for his crimes, because now he was their dear grandpa again.

Another thing I'd like to discuss about this film is how everyone felt about the reconciliation between Earl and his ex-wife and daughter. To me, it seemed like coming together came far too quickly and didn't really feel true to life. I was surprised by how rapidly his daughter forgave him after he apologized to her. She said something like, "I think you are just a late bloomer," and all seemed to have been forgiven.

The ex-wife also seemed to forgive him much too quickly as well. He visits her once when she has cancer, and years of bad blood seemingly just seem to evaporate for her. I also felt like there should have been some scenes of soul searching for his daughter once she found out that her father, from which she had been estranged for at least 12 years, was a drug runner for a Mexican cartel. If my father was an integral part in destroying thousands of lives, I definitely wouldn't have just said "at least we'll always know where you are," when he is carted off to prison.

I understand that this is a movie and not real life, but I'd be interested to explore how others felt about the development of these relationships in the film, and whether they rang true or not. Let's discuss!

Satu, thanks for posting your thoughts. I think that he did know that what he was doing was some version of wrong, but I'm not sure in the beginning of the film Earl knew exactly what he was doing. There is a term in the law here in the United States called willful blindness. This means that the person suspects that there is something wrong with what they are doing, but they look the other way and make no attempts to look into it any further because they don't actually want to know, and want to maintain plausible deniability.

As for your second question, I think even if Earl would have allowed his lawyer to put on a robust defense, he still would have gone to jail. The man upon which this movie was loosely based, Leo Sharp, actually argued that he became a drug runner in part because he had dementia. Leo Sharp still got three years in prison. I think he got off way too easy, since unlike in the film, he was a drug runner for at least 10 years.

I saw The Mule a week ago. I liked it. My thoughts on it..

I was wondering whether he knew what he was about to get into. He seemed quite care free driving into that garage and seeing a man holding a gun. And he seemed surprised seeing those drugs when he opened the bag. I wasn’t able to read him about whether he was aware in the beginning that it was drugs.

I had no expectations from the trailer and the ”I swear this is the last one” makes the tone of the trailer seem that he was in some kind of despair at some point. But it didn’t really seem that way. I could only see despair when he was about to get caught. The chase made me think this has a Gran Torino-ending, but I was happy about the way the film ended. He seemed to be at peace.

I could also see pity on the agents’ face (Cooper) when he realised who he was, and also in the court when he was sentenced. Do you think he would have gotten a sentence if he had let the lawyer do her job?

When you're through, come on up here and declutter my apartment!

It used to be renovating shows now it seems to be decluttering shows are the in thing and I’m hooked. Last year we watched becoming minimalist this year Consumed and Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.

I have so much stuff and no need for most of it, it’s all going. Selling, donation, whatever it takes. 😎

When you're through, come on up here and declutter my apartment!

Maybe I should check out some of those shows--I was just thinking today I need to get rid of a bunch of stuff from my apartment. Whenever I move I'll end up getting rid of plenty of stuff, so might as well do that beforehand.

...and the look on Tippi Hedren's face as the fire was going from the car to the gas station.

You know, I've never liked the way that scene was shot, as if it was just a series of photographs as she watches it happen.

What I like most about The Birds is when they board themselves up in the house. I haven't watched the movie in years, but I remember that as being a suspenseful scene. I enjoy the movie but it's never been a favorite.

It used to be renovating shows now it seems to be decluttering shows are the in thing and I’m hooked. Last year we watched becoming minimalist this year Consumed and Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.

I have so much stuff and no need for most of it, it’s all going. Selling, donation, whatever it takes. 😎

Notorious
Psycho
Rebecca
North by Northwest
Rear Window
The Birds
To Catch a Thief
Strangers on a Train
Marnie
Spellbound
The Lady Vanishes
Shadow of a Doubt
Sabotage
The 39 Steps


The top 3 are all so good, I might flip any of them around if watching them again. But, today that's my order.  We didn't do Vertigo, and that would be up in my top 5, I think. 

I really like his Hollywood films way more than his British works, and on my list, there is a HUGE gap between Spellbound and The Lady Vanishes.