Jeri Jacquin
Coming to limited release from director Laure de
Clermont-Tonnerre and Focus Features comes a story of self-redemption with the
help of THE MUSTANG.
Roman Coleman (Matthias Schoenaerts) has been in prison for
twelve years. Mainly keeping to himself in solitary, his temper flares in a
second bringing him even more problems. Transferred to a new prison, he refuses
to help anyone understand how to get through, not even daughter Martha (Gideon
Adlon).
Outside the prison walls are horse stalls and a man named
Myles (Bruce Dern) who teaches inmates how to prepare horses for sale. These
are mustangs captured by the government and land management and all sale
proceeds go back to them. At first Roman has no interested until he hears continual
banging from a stall away from the corals.
Then he comes face to face with a very angry mustang and
Roman is captured in another way. Myles sees that there is something between
the two and brings the convict into the prisons program. Put in the hands of
inmate Elijah (Keith Johnson), Roman gets a lesson here and there about how to
reach the untouchable horse.
Newly named Marcus, Roman works his new ward daily and
something happens to them both. So much so that when daughter Martha comes to
visit, Roman confesses what brought him to jail and hopes there can be
something between father and daughter once again.
Roman has other worries as well when top inmate Dan (Josh
Stewart) decides he wants something from his cell mate and is willing to hurt
Martha to make that happen. Both Roman and Marcus become a mixture of emotions
and just when they are in sync – one sudden jolt forces them both to come to
terms with who they are and where they are meant to be.
It is all in how you define love and freedom!
Schoenaerts as Roman gives absolutely everything to this
role. There is anger, confusion, heart, soul, rage, revenge, and confession –
just a gambit of where he once was to where we meet him. Strong willed from the
film’s beginning, Schoenaerts character is broken down slowly and surely by a
beautiful animal that has so much in common with Roman. I could not take my
eyes of this actor who portrays a man who slowly comes to terms with a mistake
brought on by anger that just can’t seems to subside.
Dern as Myles is a horse trainer who sees something click
between Roman and Marcus. He puts a skittish faith and sees it pay off daily.
Even when the unthinkable happens, Dern is strong in character and lends it to
Roman when he needs it the most. Dern has always been on my list of amazing actors
and it is satisfying to see him continue to jump in and lasso a role that suits
him.
Aldon as Martha has just as much anger as her father but she
is less physical about it. Instead hiding it in the way she speaks as bits of
anger seep out with anger at being left alone growing up. Johnson as Elijah is
very happy working with horses and takes a keen interest in seeing that Roman
succeeds. The problem is that is outside the prison, what happens inside is
something else.
THE MUSTANG has a storyline that tugs every fiber of a
being. From the beginning of the film and the horses are captured, it plants
the seed of emotion wondering why these beautiful creatures can’t just be left
alone. In that instant, the film becomes personal to watch.
It is personal in regards to the horses and everything after
that. There is a mental encouragement that happens as the film goes on –
encouraging the horse to let go of its anger but not let go of its spirit and
encouraging Roman to stop hiding from the world. The final encouragement is
that they both realize they are cut from the same universal cloth.
There is also a constant shift in the film that takes the
two steps forward and five steps back in both Roman and Marcus yet there is no
way as the viewer to lose hope. Schoenaerts and the lovely mustang we know as
Marcus invite us into a story that only the two of them can possibly tell.
The film is cinematically beautiful with the surrounding
wilderness and plopped in its center is a brick building holding men. Between
the wilderness and the prison is a place of hope that, at times, makes you
forget about the other two worlds. Unfortunately, the other two worlds are
very, very powerful.
In the end – they are both untamed souls and kindred
spirits!
