Co-written and directed by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, The Mustang is based on a true story about convicts working with wild mustangs as a rehabilitation process.
Robert Redford is the executive producer, and the movie is hanging with the Sundance Film Festival shingle. The movie follows a convict named Roman Coleman, played by
Matthias Schoenaerts. In solitary confinement for 12 years, he’s a basket case. He takes on a wild mustang that is as crazy as he is.
Somehow, he ends up in a rehab program where convicts take care of mustangs. By watching the trailer, Coleman changes into a better person because of this program.
The program is known for rehabbing inmates with a recidivism rate of zero percent. Any program like that is worth knowing. An article here talks about another program Criminon where inmates regain their self-respect, very similar to what happens in The Mustang.
The Mustang is about rebuilding your life after making some terrible and stupid mistakes. Coleman’s daughter, played by Gideon Adlon, comes to visit him in prison. He needs to confront the issues that plague their obviously troubled relationship.
Bruce Dern and Connie Britton also star. Dern appears to play the guy who oversees the mustang ranch.
The movie clips show some fine-acting chops. The first clip shows the before, and the second clip shows the after. The story is heart-wrenching, and it is hard to imagine what this man went through to get to the other side and gain his self-respect back.
Clermont-Tonnerre talks about directing the movie and the story. The true story that influences the movie is fascinating.
Robert Redford talks about working with Clermont-Tonnerre when she was at Sundance. Redford was her mentor, and they became good friends. He talks about the movie and his love for horses.
