Through the vagaries of 21st century film distribution, I happened to see Mud at one of Chicago's god-forsaken multiplexes. This occurred after the heavy bombardment in Dolby Digital sound of coming attractions for the likes of Iron Man 3 and Pacific Rim practically shook the bones and before the more genteel trailers for Roadside Attractions - the company distributing Mud - followed: a documentary from Sarah Polley; Joss Whedon's update of Much Ado About Nothing . With writer/director Jeff Nichol's Mud, we're dealing with something far more subtle than most of those thundering mainstream films. And yet, there's no lack of story with Mud . Over the course of his three features, Mr. Nichols has established himself as someone who seems more of a skilled writer that directs than a director who just insists on filming his own stories. Not a bad thing at all. So Mud is ground in specifics of character and place as any good writer would d...