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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 14 March 2019
An untamed man and horse connect in 'The Mustang'

By LINDSEY BAHR his mental state having band equestrian magazine
Associated Press been in and out of solitary he traded for in the prison,
We don't find out our pro- confinement in a rural Ne- but which he pronounces
tagonist's name for quite vada penitentiary a num- "Marcus."
some time in "The Mustang ber of times, but he's not There's a sin in his past that's
," the feature debut of interested in playing along, never even alluded to, of
French writer-director Laure or even trying. course. It's why he's in there
de Clermont-Tonnerre. "I'm not good with people," after all. Does no one know,
All we know at first is what growls Schoenaerts as he you wonder? Or perhaps
we see and what Belgian hits her panic button to end it's too horrific for words. It's
actor Matthias Schoen- the session. revealed eventually, late in
aerts projects. A psycholo- Schoenaerts is a command- the film and not unlike that
gist played by Connie Brit- ing presence, and usually pivotal revelation in "Paris,
ton, in a brief but impactful a quite empathetic one in Texas." Even with its unusu-
role, tries to get a sense of films like "Rust and Bone" ally restrained running time,

This image released by Focus Features shows Matthias Schoen- "The Mustang" is a power-
aerts in a scene from "The Mustang." ful and emotional journey
Associated Press framed by gorgeous sun-
soaked shots of the stark
and "A Bigger Splash," but The significance of naming Nevada landscape. I just
here with a shaved head will come back in this brief, wish there was a little more
and a rage simmering be- gorgeous film about un- character development for
neath his nearly dead eyes, tamed and forgotten out- the supporting players, like
he's downright terrifying. His casts. It's probably worth Myles and Henry, and the
identity, you realize, is that mentioning here that the prison's rotten apple Dan
of a prisoner. He doesn't themes aren't exactly sub- (Josh Stewart), who feels
think about his past, his fu- tle, but that doesn't make more like a lazy screenwrit-
ture or his needs. He merely them any less effective. ing construct than an ac-
exists. He even rebuffs the This is a real program in tual part of the world we've
young pregnant woman which inmates, many with gotten to know.
(Gideon Adlon) who comes no equine experience, But Clermont-Tonnerre has
to visit. (It's his daughter, tame wild horses for even- established herself as a film-
you discover, but even that tual adoption and sale to maker to watch with "The
is left ambiguous for a mo- the public. Mustang," and has also
ment). Roman, of course, takes to made the most compelling
It's not until he's assigned to the craziest horse. Perhaps case yet that Schoenaerts
manure duty as part of the it's the first time he's actually can not only handle an
correctional center's wild felt smaller or less powerful American accent, but ex-
horse training program that than a living creature. And cel with it too.
a light even starts to come with the encouragement of "The Mustang," a Focus
back on, partly because a fellow inmate, Henry (the Features release, is rated R
the head of the program, always compelling Jason by the Motion Picture Asso-
Myles (Bruce Dern) treats Mitchell), he starts the long ciation of America for "lan-
the inmates like human em- process of "gentling" the guage, some violence and
ployees, not criminals. He horse. He'll eventually even drug content." Running
even asks our protagonist give it a name — Marquis, time: 96 minutes. Three stars
his name: Roman Coleman. which he sees in a contra- out of four.q

Savannah reporter McClain returns in

'A Beautiful Corpse'

By OLINE H. COGDILL because of her interest giving her information only
Associated Press in crime, spurred by her when mandated.
"A Beautiful Corpse" mother's murder when she Harper could use their
(Minotaur), by Christi was 12. She now uses her help as she looks into the
Daugherty reporting skills to look into murder of law student and
Appealing characters and her mother's still unsolved bartender Naomi Scott,
an insider's look at ethical death. who was shot in the early
journalism in the midst of Harper had much respect morning in a popular tourist
newspaper cutbacks lend for how the police handled area. Naomi was a bright,
a solid foundation to "A her mother's murder, and hard-working student who
Beautiful Corpse," Christi her close relationship with was close to her father,
Daugherty's second novel them gave her an insider's Jerrod; her mother died
about Savannah reporter view of crime investigation. when she was a child. The
Harper McClain. That one-time in with the police soon target Naomi's
As she did in "The Echo detectives is no more, not boyfriend, Wilson Shepherd,
Killing," Daugherty since Harper exposed a also a law student who had
continues to delve deep cop's crimes. The police turned his life around after
into the persona of Harper department has closed teenage indiscretions. q
who became a reporter its blue ranks against her,