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9

Rebecca31Sep 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 programDirected 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

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7

TVJerryApr 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 particularMatthias 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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10

MickVVAug 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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9

GinaKMar 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 anMatthias 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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7

TrevorsViewApr 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 checkHere’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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7

JLuis_001Jul 7, 2020

I wouldn't really consider it a redemption story, but rather a story about a connection that allows the protagonist an escape and calm that he simply can't find with his peers.

This is a humble and direct film. I'm not sure to call itI wouldn't really consider it a redemption story, but rather a story about a connection that allows the protagonist an escape and calm that he simply can't find with his peers.

This is a humble and direct film.
I'm not sure to call it inspiring, but it tackles its themes well and frankly it's a pretty solid drama.

This is the kind of movie where Matthias Schoenaerts shines and I can easily say that it is his best role since Rust and Bone.… Expand

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7

Bertaut1Sep 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 theNothing 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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8

MarkHReviewsApr 16, 2019

It’s refreshing to watch a film brimming with self-confidence – no need for elaborate CGI, no need for excessive carnage, for cartoon characters or for dialogue that’s overwrought and over-written. “The Mustang” is a spare, almost austere,It’s refreshing to watch a film brimming with self-confidence – no need for elaborate CGI, no need for excessive carnage, for cartoon characters or for dialogue that’s overwrought and over-written. “The Mustang” is a spare, almost austere, story, but one that captivates from start to finish. At a running time of ninety-six minutes, the movie has the self-confidence to fully develop a single story and stop when the story is done.

“The Mustang” is based on the Wild Horse Inmate Program, which exists currently in six states in the US. In this program, wild mustangs are brought to prisons, where prisoners are taught to care for the horses, bond with them and eventually get these magnificent wild animals to accept a saddle and human direction. After an intensive twelve-week program, these horses are sold at auction, often put to work with Border Patrol agents, local police departments or private owners. The revenue created from these sales makes the program self-sustaining.

In the hands of Writer/Director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, a French filmmaker making her feature film debut, this program also is a powerful metaphor. In the same way that the survival of these mustangs depends on the horses’ ability to accept changes in order to co-exist with encroaching civilization, so also must the inmates learn to modify their inclination to react violently whenever they feel threatened. This metaphor is drawn a little too directly at times, but that does not distract from the film’s powerful point.

The success of “The Mustang” is based on four elements. First, this film is based on an intelligent script that respects its audience. Roman Coleman, the film’s central character, is allowed to breathe, grow, learn and develop without constant exposition to make sure the audience is keeping up. Second, Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts as Coleman is fabulous. In his previous work (including 2012’s “Rust and Bone” and 2015’s “A Bigger Splash”), Schoenaerts has portrayed compelling, generally sympathetic characters. Here, he inhabits an initially unappealing character - a dead-eyed stare of indifference, a tendency toward impulsive violence, the brief statement “I’m not good with people” - while still keeping the interest and sympathy of the audience, no small feat. Third, the supporting cast is stellar. At age 82, Bruce Dern is excellent as the manager of the prison’s mustang program. In two short scenes, Connie Britton is compelling as the prison psychologist. Gideon Adlon, daughter of veteran actor Pamela Adlon, is equally good as Coleman’s daughter. Finally, the shots of the Nevada desert, integrated throughout the film, add a physical context that is simply breath-taking.

“The Mustang” is not a film for impatient viewers requiring instant gratification. Like many excellent films, it’s a slow burn that leaves a long-term impression.… Expand

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7

Mauro_LanariOct 16, 2022

(Mauro Lanari)
Not wanting to shoot a remake of "The Horse Whisperer" (1998), this time Redford limits himself to producing a succinct clone of it but with the same power in the result by havin' it directed by a debutant.

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8

hnestlyontheslyOct 7, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Mustang excels at positioning itself equal parts horse movie and incarceration drama. It resists tidy endings and anodyne backstories, stereotypical genre speeches, or lazy cinematography that leans heavily on money shot horse close ups. The prison is set in the Nevada desert, which makes for a slightly Martian backdrop for a jailhouse, but perfect for the wide open spaces, dramatic storms, and dusty atmosphere of a rustic man-meets-horse story. A few more details about some of the interesting decisions after the jump:

The delay in the story of why Roman Coleman’s in prison is a nice touch. The audience spends a lot of time like the prison psychologist, staring into his cipher of a face, pleading with him to indicate that he’s listening, that he has opinions, preferences, feelings. The slow disarmament of his defenses around his horse, the visual and emotive parallelism of the wild mustang’s imprisonment and taming works well. The pounding on the cramped holding cell doors of the mustang and the knocking on the walls of the SHU are juxtaposed, but never feel like the film is trying to personify the horse so much as clarify the complicated and ineffable tangle of emotions that Coleman is trying to work through silently.

Coleman’s reasoning about his incarceration is flawed (everything that happened was an accident), and this lack of clarity is a hallmark of a film and filmmaker who are unwilling to let characters benefit from the audience’s sympathy, supplementing the messiness of emotional growth and the agony of guilt with the story’s focalized narrative. Coleman is clearly not ready or able to account for his part in it after twelve years, or maybe he is but his silence is cryptic. When Coleman tearfully promises to his daughter Martha “I’m gonna make it up to you somehow,” his words are received reluctantly and without warmth, a surrogate for our own hesitation, a canary for our own attachment to this protagonist. (Gideon Adlon, previously of Blockers fame, is one of my very favorite young actors and I am so excited to see her future projects.)

Wife says it’s tragic the way that he sacrifices himself to save the horse, putting himself in prison for even longer, and showing how complicated his promise to his daughter truly is. Because Coleman is looking for Martha, he isn’t paying attention to his horse. This prevents him from having the fairy tale ending he’s looking for and instead brings an end to the program, his own rehabilitation, and his ticket to redemption with his daughter. Maybe Martha is right when she says in her letter, “I thought it was my fault, that the reason you didn’t get parole was that I was a bad writer. It was only once I was older that I realized, You didn’t want to get out.”

So much is left open-ended: the way that Coleman goes unpunished for his retribution on his cell mate, the fact that the daughter goes away unscathed after the bald threat from his cellie. The film is not interested with arcs, but rather with descriptions and images. The pledge of allegiance played out fully at the horse auction, the refuse left behind in the kitchen after the sandstorm, the backdrop of a tropical vacation in a photograph.

The Slate article calling this the “golden age of horse movies” did a lot of the work in getting me into the theater. I hope you have a chance to see it too.… Expand

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