THE RATIOCINATION OF THE NEW MOVIE – “THE MUSTANG”
INTRODUCTION
I’m a moviegoer. Always have been - since the early 60s.
I enjoy them all.
I especially enjoy newer movies that have realistic messages and intriguing storylines that are germane to society today.
Who doesn’t?
Particularly when animals are included. Always, always have.
No, no, no, not the usual “Disney panache” that’s all too predictable and cute.
Please.
And certainly, I don’t mean the “Old Yeller” kind of the 60s, though I did enjoy Old Yeller when it first premiered back in ‘64 or so.
I love Westerns the most. Many people do too.
Clint Eastwood is my favorite cowboy.
Charles Bronson is my favorite vigilante.
Robin Williams is my favorite comedy actor.
Jack Nicholson is always a classic, besides being a long time loyal LA Laker fan.
Nicole Coleman is my favorite actress. Sharon Stone and yes, Grace Kelly, though is an oh-so-close second to Nicole. They are all very talented actresses. Though I don’t agree much with her politics I do enjoy Jennifer Lawrence and most of her movies.
My all-time favorite movies -
The Sting and Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid with Robert Redford, Paul Neuman among many others
High Plains Drifter - Clint Eastwood
Gone With The Wind – Clark Gable, Vivian Lee among others
Godfather I, II, III – Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Al Pacino among others
Leonardo DiCaprio - anything he does, especially, The Revenant
Apocalypse Now – Robert Duvall among others
Glory (Civil War) – Matthew Broderick and Denzel Washington among others
James Bond – In particular Sean Connery and Roger Craig in the lead roles
Schneider’s List
Patton - George C. Scott, Ernest Borgnine among many others
A Hard Day’s Night – The Fab Four
Battle of the Bulge – A litany of stars
Forrest Gump/Saving Private Ryan – The toy storytelling boy himself, Tom Hanks among others.
I just watched the new movie - The Mustang.
Just came out last week - nationwide.
Rotten Tomatoes rated it a 94. Potential perhaps, as I think to myself.
Shortly thereafter I read my electronic New York Times raving review of The Mustang.
Something’s up!
It has - according to the NY Times review, realistic messages, and is definitely not predictable while being a solid social commentator. Historical data has indicated to me that the NY Times and I usually hit it off pretty good on critiquing movies even though the paper is so darn liberal and even I live in Southern California.
Near my home in San Clemente, California there’s a movie theatre in which Wednesday’s are senior discount days - until 5:00 PM. This theatre offers delicious/fresh Orville Redenbacher popcorn and they carry my standard Dr. Pepper on the rocks (with California style biodegradable straws as of last week, which becomes law here in Reggie-Cali on 1/01/2020) - not the cheap imitated ones like Mr. Pibb the no fizz soda.
Most of the theatre employees know me by nickname (Chip) and start filling up my extra small Dr. Pepper as I stream through the glass doors and onto the red carpet with Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant and Liz Taylor silhouettes everywhere. The candy and soda pop counter knows me well – only four small ice cubes, no butter on the extra small popcorn tray and if the popcorn is currently a-popping, they’ll dip my personalized tray under the popcorn cascading down below.
I hit the 1:35 PM showing by my lonesome with high anticipation of seeing a good and thought-provoking and perhaps a paradigm shifty kind of movie after I read another review by The Daily Review of The Mustang in the theatre parking lot - same overall sentiment as N.Y. Times including too the L.A. Times’ movie review as my very last reference before locking my car and making my way to the red carpet while digging out six one dollar bills and two quarters.
Wow, I thought to myself all these liberal papers loving this movie perhaps the movie was produced by PETA or the HSUS and not the Sundance Kid himself, Robert Redford.
The Mustang with its multiple messages on animals and Homo sapiens was undeniably spot-on.
A winner. Perhaps even Oscar Gold in 2020?
A thought-provoking story with excellent directing, acting and cinematography. The Mustangs multiple messages (emphasis on the plural) was well worth my $6.50 admission price within its 1 hour and 38 minutes running time via a 21st century HD projection and the movie soundtrack that aptly provided hoof thundering surround sound around me.
The Mustang is a must-see on the over-sized silver screen with your favorite treats and refreshments because The Mustang is a treat for one’s eyes, ears and emotions - - - for ages 15 and up - that is.
Don’t wait for the movie to be released on Blue Ray at your local Wal-Mart if you like human and animal interaction movies with deep tap-rooted meanings and symbols.
However, you’ll more than likely buy The Mustang on Blue Ray after your viewing.
SNAPSHOT STORYLINE REVIEW – MINUS - THE ENDING - PROMISE
The Mustang is set in a remote prison compound nestled in the hot and arid Nevada desert. It’s basically about the bond between a hardened prisoner and a wild mustang horse in a style of great-plains … simplicity.
The opening title informs moviegoers that there are presently 100,000 wild mustangs still roaming in the open west of the U.S., but their numbers are dwindling as land becomes privatized and the animals are captured with some being euthanized. This could be a movie in of itself right there - - - though it isn’t for this one.
It’s much better.
Matthias Schoenaerts has the lead role in this gem.
If you’ll recall, Schoaenaert was in last years thriller movie, Red Sparrow in which Schoenaerts played a Russian intelligence officer with a vivid gleam that made him seem like the son of none other than the tyrant himself - Vladimir “the ripper/dealer” Putin. Trump ought to show this film in the White House and invite CNN and Fox news and perhaps Barb Streisand and Jennifer Lawrence for some bipartisan popcorn and soda pop. It would help everyone carbonate their political ratings come 2020.
Schoenaerts was born to (run) play this role. Not unlike Marlon Brando being created by God to play the Godfather and/or Al Pacino as his loyal son Michael.
Schoenaerts plays a badass stud named Roman Coleman with a closely shaved head with a typical biker goatee paired with his continuous stoic glare that’s been behind prison bars for reasons that The Mustang holds back on the reins - not unlike a Rodeo cowboy does on a snorting red bull for most of the movie.
For a while, I figure that Romans just a stone-cold sociopath manic.
No hope. No light at the end of the tunnel.
But it’s part of the films tricky balancing/high wire act that the films Director comes through in the likes of some spiritually lobotomized death-row version of a decked out shirtless pumped up Dwayne Johnson while gradually cueing us at every turn to look and try to understand the burning fired up soul that lies within this stubborn Bronco Billy and --- the kicking and snorting mustang.
There is a scene where Roman is instructed by Bruce Dern to never look a horse straight in the eyes when you're trying to break them in. But Dern is too late, the connection was already made - as you can see in the picture directly below.
There’s a keen scene in the movie where Roman is seated opposite an anger-management therapist (who actually needs a therapist, even more, herself) that is about to re-enter the general prison of the Northern Correction Center after having spent a lengthy stretch in solitary confinement. Roman has zero interest in joining the incarcerated horde, as he evinces still no signs of connecting even after he gets assigned to shovel out the prisons stockade of hot and smelly fecal matter under the dry mid-day intense heat of the desert sun.
Then the very next scene introduces to us (finally) any popcorn enthusiasts all-time favorite – Bruce Dern --- who fits his role as Myles perfectly as a gnarly old coot / Buckaroo 500 who is in charge of the wild horse program as he yells and gestures Roman to go and break in one of the wild mustangs – to prove himself worthy and manly enough.
When Myles points towards a particular Mustang, Roman’s fellow handlers know that this particular Mustang is hopeless - that the only way this Mustang is going to get broken/obedient is by pure death or perhaps – borrowing some muscles from MGMs King Kong and Godzilla --- certainly not a human being.
Roman initially had zero luck with the charging and kicking mustang and that’s simply because there’s a steadfast standoff between not one but two commanding hard-wired beasts. From this moment on, the film has us in its awaiting saddle and stirrups. No turning back now Duke. A whole new pony show is in town. Going to the bathroom at this point is no longer a viable option.
Getting a clever storyline for a movie doesn’t always guarantee that the movie will be good. Clichés beckon. Pitfalls replicate. Parallels invite clarification. Symbols often beg for more emphasis. Far from going the wrong way, the debut by Director Clermont-Tonnerre opens strong, grows even stronger while avoiding almost every trap as it fulfills its abundant promises.
CLOSING SUMMARY/COMMENTS
If I was still a plant manager at a USDA inspected, (cows, pigs, chickens, and turkeys) harvesting establishment, I would make it mandatory that my corral crew watches the movie. There is a lot of points-of-balance and flight-zones going on within this Rhinestone Cowboy flick.
My unique take away from The Mustang was how it reinforced my strong testament that animals (and birds) are intelligent and much, much more aware that people, in general, are willing to lend credit.
I’ve been asked by friends how can I audit cows and birds that are euthanized for their meat and still love animals and birds like I do.
“Isn’t it a bit oxymoronic, Steve-O?”
Good question.
Three (3) reasons
1. First and foremost it is omnipresent within the Bible that God created beasts for humans to draw nutrition from.
2. Congress in 1978 passed the humane handling act and was signed into law by the President through our voting in past elections.
3. Though even if it’s barely detectable, the work of so many people (consultants/auditors) in the cow pens have indeed improved ten-fold the handling and caring of feed animals and birds. Improvements are still needed, but progress continues to be made day in and day out.
That’s what I share when asked such questions.
POST-SUMMARY NOTE
My father passed away a little more than 2 years ago of dementia. My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease 9 months ago. A rare double-double for sons and daughters to deal with.
Not fun. Very emotional and trying times, to say the least.
I know all about the latest meds for these types of illnesses via my researches and questions forwarded to neurologists.
But I can tell you that my parent’s dog (named Chip, mixed bred and yes, a little lap dog) is the best medicine that any doctor can hope to ever prescribe.
Dogs, cats, horses, and colorful talking birds have no side toxic effects like meds do. Animals are evergreens and are nothing but givers.
Chip (who was a rescue dog who was severely beaten and was named after me by my boys) offers a well-spring of hand and face licks within his organic arsenal to give 24/7/365 day/night time snuggles, and the most darn unique and innate abilities that was packaged with red bowed ribbons exclusively by Zeus himself early on into all descendants of Grey wolves - that brings nothing but smiles, calmness, and happiness that money or the medical profession cannot ever buy or hope to achieve.
Unfortunately, I have learned and observed the directly above statement/observations to being true … but still tainted blue.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention the best part.
The movie is true.
So was the spectacular ending.
See you at the movies. :0)