The Mustang

Name: The Mustang
Genre: Drama
Released: March 15, 2019
Duration: 96 min
Rating: 77
Cast: Bruce Dern, Connie Britton, Gideon Adlon, Heath Hensley, Jack Waggon

2019

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Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 38 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 38 Ratings

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The Mustang

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Movie Details & Credits

Focus Features | Release Date: March 15, 2019 | R

Starring: Bruce Dern, Connie Britton, Gideon Adlon, Heath Hensley, Jack Waggon, James Mcfarland, Jasmeet Baduwalia, Jason Mitchell, Josh Manzer, Josh Stewart, Keith Johnson, Kelly Richardson, Matthias Schoenaerts, Noel Gugliemi, Ronnie Yelverton, Santina Muha, Thomas Smittle

Summary: Roman (Matthias Schoenaerts), a convict in a rural Nevada prison who struggles to escape his violent past, is required to participate in an “outdoor maintenance” program as part of his state-mandated social rehabilitation. Spotted by a no-nonsense veteran trainer (Bruce Dern) and helped by an outgoing fellow inmate and trick rider (JasonRoman (Matthias Schoenaerts), a convict in a rural Nevada prison who struggles to escape his violent past, is required to participate in an “outdoor maintenance” program as part of his state-mandated social rehabilitation. Spotted by a no-nonsense veteran trainer (Bruce Dern) and helped by an outgoing fellow inmate and trick rider (Jason Mitchell), Roman is accepted into the selective wild horse training section of the program, where he finds his own humanity in gentling an especially unbreakable mustang.… Expand

Director: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 96 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Kim Hughes

Mar 21, 2019

Quiet, understated and unforgettable, The Mustang is a winner by five lengths. Read full review

Soren Andersen

Mar 28, 2019

In the midst of that hostile physical and psychic landscape, de Clermont-Tonnerre has made a stringent tale of a struggle for redemption. Read full review

Allison Shoemaker

Mar 13, 2019

It’s all well-trod territory. And yet — and here’s another cliché — The Mustang breathes new life into most of those conventions, thanks in no small part to Schoenaerts and his remarkable work. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Mar 11, 2019

Fascinating and frequently compelling, The Mustang is a hybrid, the unlikely combination of genres you wouldn’t think go together but are able to coexist thanks to an exceptional leading performance. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Mar 28, 2019

Clermont-Tonnerre never surprises with The Mustang, but in stripping the story to elemental visuals that tell a simple, touching story, she’s announced herself as a cinematic storyteller to watch. Read full review

Lindsey Bahr

Mar 13, 2019

But Clermont-Tonnerre has established herself as a filmmaker to watch with The Mustang, and has also made the most compelling case yet that Schoenaerts can not only handle an American accent, but excel with it too. Read full review

The Playlist Gregory Ellwood

Feb 1, 2019

The initial inspiration was clearly there, but the execution simply falls short. Read full review

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User Reviews

MickVV

Aug 9, 2019

Superb on all counts. Like "The Rider," moving and emotionally compelling. Excellent performances back a story of a world we'd never otherwise see or know.

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GinaK

Mar 27, 2019

Matthias Schoenaerts gives a completely believable, intense performance as Roman Coleman in an excellent character study of a convict, imprisoned for a rash violent act, who finds himself by learning to train wild stallions. Based on an actual government program, the movie manages to beMatthias Schoenaerts gives a completely believable, intense performance as Roman Coleman in an excellent character study of a convict, imprisoned for a rash violent act, who finds himself by learning to train wild stallions. Based on an actual government program, the movie manages to be highly emotional without being soppy or sentimental, thanks to the wonderful acting of Schoenaerts and Bruce Dern and the rest of the cast. The scenery is magnificent, and the direction is excellent, concentrating on the story and characters and not tricky camera angles. Only an over-the-top performance by Coleman’s “evil” cellmate blemishes a wonderful film. Luckily we don’t see much of the cellmate or the sentimental exchanges with the woman whom Coleman has wronged, although she is quite well-played by Gideon Adlon.… Expand

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Rebecca31

Sep 9, 2019

Directed by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, The Mustang tells the story of Roman Coleman (Matthias Schoenaerts). A violent criminal serving his sentence in prison is given the opportunity to participate in a rehabilitation therapy program involving training wild mustangs.

Here’s one that’sDirected by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, The Mustang tells the story of Roman Coleman (Matthias Schoenaerts). A violent criminal serving his sentence in prison is given the opportunity to participate in a rehabilitation therapy program involving training wild mustangs.

Here’s one that’s probably going to fly under the radar but if you can find a cinema showing The Mustang then be sure to check it out, you won’t be disappointed. A hugely emotional and touching story, not revealing all the plot details to you right away as the story unfolds. With a spectacular performance from Matthias, he brings this intense performance to life. Often without using dialogue but his overall onscreen presence. A very well told and stripped back story with an absolutely beautiful soundtrack by Jed Kurzel. I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Mustang but it certainly exceeded expectations and it’s highly recommended.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

TVJerry

Apr 9, 2019

Matthias Schoenaerts stars as a hardened inmate in a Nevada prison who's chosen for their special program that "breaks" wild mustangs. His steely, shutdown eyes elucidate his closed-off character, but as his relationship with one particular horse develops, he exposes deep emotions. This is aMatthias Schoenaerts stars as a hardened inmate in a Nevada prison who's chosen for their special program that "breaks" wild mustangs. His steely, shutdown eyes elucidate his closed-off character, but as his relationship with one particular horse develops, he exposes deep emotions. This is a quietly affecting story, less about the prison than the man. It's captured with a gentle style that focuses almost exclusively on Schoenaerts' performance, which is restrained, but effective and ultimately affecting.… Expand

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Bertaut1

Sep 8, 2019

Nothing you haven't seen before, but it's very well-made and genuinely moving

The pitch for The Mustang is as hackneyed as it gets – a dangerous convict given a shot at redemption by working with a dangerous horse, and as the man tames the animal, the animal tames the man. However, despiteNothing you haven't seen before, but it's very well-made and genuinely moving

The pitch for The Mustang is as hackneyed as it gets – a dangerous convict given a shot at redemption by working with a dangerous horse, and as the man tames the animal, the animal tames the man. However, despite its derivative underpinnings, The Mustang has been made with such craft that it transcends the clichés. And yes, chances are everything you think might happen does, but the acting, the emotional beats, and the authenticity all contribute to the whole, wherein it turns out the familiarity of the destination doesn't matter so much when the journey is so well executed.

In a Nevada jail, the emotionally shut down Roman Coleman (Matthias Schoenaerts) is serving a 12-year bit and upon being released from solitary, he's assigned to clean up the horse dung from the mustangs used in the Wild Horse Inmate Program (WHIP), wherein the inmates "gentle" the animals – essentially, tame them so they can be sold at auction. Given the chance to work with an especially unruly horse that's considered unbreakable, Coleman names him Marquis (although he mispronounces it as Marcus), and sets about trying to connect with the horse in a way he hasn't connected with anyone or anything in many years.

Written by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, Mona Fastvold, and Brock Norman Brock and based on de Clermont-Tonnerre's short Rabbit (2014), The Mustang is her feature directorial debut. As the opening and closing legends tell us, WHIP is real, with prisons in 13 states adopting it, and research showing there is a significant dip in recidivist rates amongst inmates who have worked with the horses.

Despite the narrative outline suggesting otherwise, The Mustang is not a sentimental film. De Clermont-Tonnerre avoids, for example, romanticising the relationship between Coleman and Marquis; they don't have a psychic bond, rather they connect emotionally, nothing more. Their relationship is not an opportunity for glib esotericism regarding the human condition, it's a simple friendship.

In terms of acting, this is Schoenaerts's film. We've see him do quiet brooding intensity before, in films like Rundskop (2011), De rouille et d'os (2012), and Maryland (2015), but he's exceptionally good at it and is rarely less than mesmerising to watch.

Aesthetically, Coleman is repeatedly connected with Marquis. For example, the film opens on a close-up of a mustang's eye, and the first time we see Coleman, it's a BCU of him opening his eyes. Later, there's a shot in which he's reflected in Marquis's eye and a scene where they are both pinned to the ground, facing one another. Also, when Coleman is confined to his cell, we see him pacing back and forth and punching the wall, recalling Marquis's earlier behaviour in his stall. Sure, none of this is subtle, but it is effective, with de Clermont-Tonnerre communicating emotions and themes visually.

A major theme is the danger of losing self-control. An anger management class sees the prison psychologist (Connie Britton) ask each prisoner how long passed between the thought of their crime and its execution, and how long have they been in jail. None say there was more than a few seconds between thought and deed. The point is clear; a split-second decision has landed then in prison for years. It could be a scene out of any prison documentary (it would have fit right into The Work (2017), about the Inside Circle program in Folsom), and it's a good example of de Clermont-Tonnerre hanging back when she needs to.

Of course, the film is not perfect. We've all seen pretty much everything in The Mustang, and for some, the familiarity will be off-putting. A bigger issue is a subplot involving Dan (Josh Stewart), Coleman's cellmate, who blackmails him into smuggling ketamine into the prison. This subplot feels like it's been imported from another film entirely, and these scene are the weakest and the most inauthentic in the film. The narrative needs Coleman to be at a certain place at a certain time, and de Clermont-Tonnerre uses this storyline to facilitate that. But there were far more organic ways to have accomplished this without resorting to a subplot that is so tonally divorced from everything around it.

On paper, this is a clichéd social protest film with a standard redemption arc, but de Clermont-Tonnerre fashions it into something emotionally authentic. She embraces, for the most part, non-judgmental restraint, simplicity, and sincerity, and more than once communicates meaning visually. Her intimate direction and Schoenaerts's committed performance allow the film to remain always genuine and respectful, as she suggests that when you treat someone like a human being, you may find their humanity. And the most fascinating and beautifully handled trope is that Coleman's humanity could only be found, drawn out, and nurtured by an animal.… Expand

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TrevorsView

Apr 25, 2019

Here’s what the thought process of mine was like back in middle school: back then, I thought Pixar set the golden standard of filmmaking, until Cars 2 came out the summer after my high school graduation. It gave me a much-needed reality check before entering college, which worked for theHere’s what the thought process of mine was like back in middle school: back then, I thought Pixar set the golden standard of filmmaking, until Cars 2 came out the summer after my high school graduation. It gave me a much-needed reality check before entering college, which worked for the better, as once Cars 3 came out, I accepted the truth that Pixar is no different than other studios. But middle school was also the time when having a social circle was a nearly nonexistent priority until high school. The Mustang captures that sense of aloneness and desperation miraculously to the point where it makes you look back and see the now more realistically.

Being a weak conversationalist, I usually feel separated from others, similar to the fear that first time feature director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre triggers through static sounds. She works with production designer Carlos Conti (The Motorcycle Diaries) to make barriers around a horse pen look like prison bars, or a lavender anger management room infuriate the nerves. Meanwhile, the “good guy” supervisors wear blue, so even they appear deranged. Although the prison setting could benefit from a more diverse cast to voice what political correctness of today means in that part of society, the theme of control is still more powerful than you could imagine.

The somber set designs match how I, being autistic, feel when around many people, right down to the visual stimulation. Some on the autism spectrum hate certain colors, such as yellow and brown, so likewise, the protagonist, Roman, has the same case with signs he could have a mental disability. One cut transitions him chucking a bag of chips to shoveling out dung, between these two connected activities, Roman remains of very few words while embracing crap.

He speaks more with his eyes as they bond not with people, but with a locked-up animal: The lack of trust turns apparent from outside the two long-faced eye-gazers. He is the horse, the horse is him, a concept established right away immediately upon Roman’s introductory frame, hence why this crowd-pleaser should be celebrated.

Though be warned, it’s not a traditional crowd-pleaser, as one of its modes of focus is on Roman’s daughter, who tragically let herself become pregnant. The time she spends with dad is a little too manipulative in sadness but is so core to the theme of this production that it would be criminal to leave her out.

The crowd-pleasing rather tells hard truths about inner fragility via Roman’s explosive f-bombs that beat your chest. Then your ears buzz as a traumatic dust storm breathes beneath heavy orange lights, a special effects sequence that proves how the production crew really put the best of their hands to deliver the tremendous guilt-driven moments of anger.

The technical elements paint the dangerous waters the typical man must swim across, kicked off by an annoying whistle sound heard over a helicopter chase against glorious mountains—sheer irony of chaos surrounded by glory. Then as it gets smaller in the confinement of a cell, the scope remains remarkable after Roman studies an informative magazine secretly given to him.

The camera’s motion is almost always handheld in order to express the same level of FOMO discouragement you’d feel after spending too much time on a Facebook wall. It’s done in that lavender room as the camera pans past each unnamed anger management patient individually until it stops at Roman. These men, along with his underused cell mate, prove a couple of missed opportunities in generating deeper insight of Roman’s outside influence, but that pressure is still beyond clear due to the harsh sunlight that beats down on him to challenge what he can handle.

Life benefits from having others around, which explains my depressed feelings from struggling to form solid bonds. Pixar’s filmography has ironically coincided exactly with what I’m going through at the time, right down to teaching me at age six that people over time will eventually leave. Of course, the summer before senior year, by the time the Toy Story trilogy was concluded, it felt like my childhood was over, as I knew I soon had to start over again with finding love from other places.

The Mustang is guaranteed to help you grasp that same somber, reflective sorrow needed to find a permanent place of belonging past iron and concrete.… Expand

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RobCobbins

Mar 27, 2019

Cliche as hell. Horses are out. Super boring. Not one bit of interesting or innovative cinematography. The worst main character.

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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