At exactly the right moment, Matthias Schoenaerts reminds us that he is a brilliant actor when he is presented with a challenge. The Belgian who made his international breakthrough in Rundskop (Bullhead) and De rouille et d’os (Rust and Bone) plays a violent convict who is unable to control himself and can barely speak comprehensively. His long incarceration in a prison in a remote part of Nevada has cut him off from everything and everyone. But there is still a glimmer of hope. He learns to tame wild horses thanks to a rehabilitation programme and becomes slightly more humane in the process.
The story should have been a touch more exciting, dramatic, or unpredictable for you to get your entire group of friends together to go and see The Mustang. But the self-confident directorial debut from the French Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre does contain a handful of impressively shot scenes and scraps of cinematic poetry that are far above average and which take full advantage of the possibilities of a big screen. Schoenaerts and the wild horses bring out the best in each other and that is beautiful.
Fijn dat je wil reageren. Wie reageert, gaat akkoord met onze huisregels. Hoe reageren via Disqus? Een woordje uitleg.