Movie Title: Two Mules for Sister Sara
Genre: Adventure, Romance, War
Starring: Shirley MacLaine, Clint Eastwood, Manolo Fábregas, Alberto Morin, Armando Silvestre, John Kelly, David Povall, Ada Carrasco, Pancho Córdova, José Chávez
Review: When a drifter named Hogan (Clint Eastwood) rescues a nun (Shirley MacLaine) from three contemptible cowboys the two become fast friends. Sister Sara joins Hogan on his secret mission to assist a band of Mexican revolutionaries in capturing a French garrison. Along the way our soft-spoken hero learns that this nun he's running with is not what she appears to be.
Two Mules for Sister Sara is an adventurous, action-packed western that sprinkles in some humor and romance to make it one of the most entertaining pictures of Clint Eastwood's career. What starts off as your typical strong silent type Eastwood western will surprise you as he is one-upped, shocked, and smitten by Shirley MacLaine's sweet, yet secretive Sister Sara.
The two stars have great chemistry and bring a wonderful relationship to the screen, the likes of which make this "road picture" really move. As these two ride across Mexico dodging bloodthirsty bandits, wicked wildlife, and harsh elements, they show sides of themselves rarely seen in film like this; Eastwood especially. He really shows a funny side of himself when Sister Sara puts him in his place, surprises him with a shocking line of dialogue, or outsmarts him during their journey. And Shirley MacLaine is as dangerous and explosive as a keg of dynamite. She's the real star of this movie. You can't take your eyes and ears of of her.
I also enjoyed that the majority of the movie is about the characters and the plot is secondary. It was great when movies were about its characters and not its special effect, stars, or the IP that's making its way to the screen to sell merchandise. But don't worry, the last act is very action heavy and it's totally worth the price of admission. One of the best scenes is when Sara has to assist an injured Hogan in destroying a bridge to keep the supply train from reaching the enemy. It's wonderfully shot, tensely edited, and exciting to watch!
Two Mules for Sister Sara gives fans of Eastwood, MacLaine, and westerns what they want, plus a little something they didn't know they wanted. It's fun, refreshing, and surprising. It's so much better than getting kicked by a mule.
Fun Fact: While in Austria filming Where Eagles Dare (1968), Clint Eastwood was approached with the script by Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton's wife at the time, with the notion of starring together in this movie.