The Mustang (2019)

Review

96min

Genre:      Crime, Drama

Director:   Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre

Cast:        Matthias Schoenaerts, Bruce Dern, Jason Mitchell…and more

Writers:    Mona Fastvold, Brock Norman Brock…and more

-Synopsis-

Languishing in a Nevada prison with little hope for redemption, a withdrawn and anti-social hardened convict finds hope in a horse therapy rehabilitation program, as he struggles to train a mustang who refuses to be broken, only to discover an unlikely kindred spirit.

The prison drama has long been a cinematic goldmine when it comes to moving and memorable material for both the big and small screen, giving us some of the most unforgettable films in recent Hollywood history, like 1994’s ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, as well as international cinema like Jacques Audiard’s ‘A Prophet’—yet rarely is there a focus on rehabilitation. Now inspired by a real American prison programme for her feature debut, French actress turned writer/director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre expands on the themes established in her 2014 short ‘Rabbit’, creating a poignant and restrained tale of empathy and hope, strong spirits and broken people.

Matthias Schoenaerts stars as ‘Roman Coleman’, a quick-tempered anti-social jailbird serving hard time for a violent crime of passion, struggling with prison life but reluctant to return to society, dreading the occasional visits from his estranged and resentful pregnant teenage daughter ‘Martha’ (Gideon Adlon), and with little hope for the future. When he stumbles on to the prison’s rehabilitation programme run by veteran rancher ‘Myles’ (Bruce Dern), Roman begins to reconnect to his humanity by way of horse, forming a tentative bond with a wild mustang he’s tasked with breaking and training, and connecting with fellow inmate ‘Henry’ (Jason Mitchell)—but his wild instincts always bubble beneath the surface, and time plus prison life will tell if these kindred souls can truly be tamed.

If you’re looking for or expecting harrowing, hard-hitting drama here, ‘The Mustang’ might not be the film for you. De Clermont-Tonnerre’s prison tale is a more restrained and repressed affair with the occasional explosion, a fitting reflection of its protagonist, and the mundane realities of the everyday prison life grind. And yet the director and her co-writers Mona Fastvold (The Childhood of a Leader) and Brock Norman Brock (Bronson, Yardie) have undoubtedly fashioned compelling human drama here, lacing a nuanced story which fluctuates between hope and despair with plenty of melancholy, while making sure the struggle for Roman is as much an internal one as it is with prison life itself.

Matthias Schoenaerts’ performance then is obviously key to the film’s subtle impact, and the Belgian star is outstanding and completely convincing as a troubled American con, even despite some accent fluctuations, which he gets around with limited yet effective dialogue, in keeping with the character. Bringing to the role his signature low-key intensity and an even greater than usual physical presence, Schoenaerts expertly unravels a stoic but volatile figure, a deeply conflicted and repentant soul caught between institutionalisation and the desire to avoid inflicting his explosive persona on the outside world—a performance elevated by his connection with his animal co-star, an on-screen relationship which proves a testament to the horse trainers and whisperers in the film.

He’s backed up meanwhile by an array of solid supporting turns, led by the great Bruce Dern in the throes of his octogenarian career resurgence, playing the stern but empathetic veteran horse wrangler and programme father figure, flanked by Jason Mitchell as the charismatic fellow inmate horse trainer, and young Gideon Adlon as the abandoned and resentful daughter.

‘The Mustang’ is not only well performed but also stylishly shot with a hazy minimalist quality by Belgian cinematographer Ruben Impens (Raw, Beautiful Boy), who captures the arid beauty of the duty American plains and the majestic wild horses who roam them, juxtaposed with the brick and concrete bleakness of the Carson City Nevada State Prison where the film was shot.

Despite its cinematic merits though, the ingredients here don’t quite add up to a modern classic prison drama. The narrative isn’t particularly intricate and there’s no daring escape plot, the drama is neither especially tense nor hard-hitting, and the character doesn’t really embark on a journey of self-discovery and profound change. Yet in some ways it makes this a more honest and reflective portrait of crime and punishment in 21st century USA—one which does offer hope . . . but not of the false variety.

What Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre has crafted here in the end is a reflective and poignant portrait of a prisoner, a tale of hope and redemption, but tempered with the harsh realities of life, human nature and the sombre consequences of violence. But mostly importantly ‘The Mustang’ is a cinematic exercise in championing the promise and power of rehabilitation, regardless of its efficacy, and in particular this horse-based programme—one which has proved unusually successful in producing a positive psychological and physical impact on inmates, giving them a greater sense humanity and a level of responsibility many never experience in the outside world.

The Bottom Line…

A measured and poignant portrait of self-destruction, regret and repentance, Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre leans on a strong central performance and its equine partner to create a nuanced and moving tale of flawed figures and stubborn spirits, subtly combining prison story with dysfunctional family drama to deliver a solid little indie human story, and an ode to the hope of rehabilitation.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Lean on Pete (2018)

Teenager ‘Charley Thompson’ is used to living a nomadic life, moving from town-to-town in the Pacific Northwest with his grifter dad, with their latest move giving him the chance to work the local stables and form a bond with a spirited racehorse named ‘Lean on Pete’. But when tragedy unexpectedly strikes, Charley embarks on an impromptu cross-country voyage with his trusty equine friend, in the hope of finding some real belonging—only to learn some grim life-lessons before his sobering journey is through.

Directed by Andrew Haigh and starring Charlie Plummer, Steve Buscemi and Travis Fimmel among others.

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