The Mule

This gritty, claustrophobic film will not be to everyone's taste -- and if I say that phrase also has a double meaning, you have a hint of just how gross Ray's week gets before it's over.

An excremental but hardly execrable Australian comedy-drama that plays like the klutzy, sheets-soiling stepbrother of "Maria Full of Grace."

Some of it is extremely disgusting and they seemed to revel in that aspect of it.

After a slowish start, The Mule kicks into gear. It's a fiendishly smart and entertaining comedy entirely predicated on the idea of somebody not wanting to go to the loo.

The Mule proves a tough sit, but by the end you might be satisfied you gritted through it.

While the film suffers from its own occasional sluggishness, it picks up as the lawmen watching our hero grow as strained as he is.

Generally interesting and with a decent production value, The Mule is worth a look.

Excellent writing and direction successfully meld thriller elements to make for a surprisingly rich black comedy.

Its a cheek-clenchingly tense waiting game that Sampson plays perfectly ...

Those inhabiting the drama might be stereotypical stock characters, but they each have enough depth to prevent their actions from being forgettable.