The Wanting Mare

I watch a lot of movies, all different genres, and have learned that if after 30 minutes, I have to check IMDB to see if I'm wasting my time, I usually am. Half an hour in, and I have no idea of what is going on, just some vague thing about a dream and a hard to come by ticket. I don't understand where the characters are, how they get to different places, or why they are there, or who exactly they are. Without any great character development, plot line of interest, entertaining dialogue or even a clue, I have given up, and that rarely happens. I learned more from the IMDB storyline description than watching a third of this movie. A script has to tell a story, not expect an audience to guess, or to "oh and ah" over the artiness.

I'm a fan of obscure stuff, but this was something else. Watch the behind the scenes on youtube, it's much more interesting. A little tip for the filmmaker: people usually watch a movie for it's story. In this one there is literally zero of it, it could be a random camera test for all I know.

It is pretentious and technically inept. A bad movie. No point in sight. No character development. No acting to speak of. Looks like a camera test, as as another reviewer put it.

Wait...what?? That's how I felt after watching this movie. It does tell a story, but it is very, very basic and simple. That is the point, however. Think...well, the opposite of a Marvel movie.

I need some point of reference! In this movie there is no place, no time, no character building of consequence. Yes, I was lost. Watched the whole movie without a clue!

This movie abandons traditional narrative structure and, instead, seems to read like a visual interpretation of a poem. Characters come and go, strain within the most tenuous of relationships, questions remain unanswered, and dialogue is spare to see the least. With each character sketched more so than developed, I can understand the hostile reaction of most reviews here. But 'The Wanting Mare' is a consistently beautiful and gentle experience and, if a western visual education can be abandoned, there is much with which to be rewarded.

'The Wanting Mare' is a slow, seemingly dull movie with no apparent story and no characters, at least not in the traditional sense. It is very pleasing to the eye though. It's less of a movie and more of an art piece rendered in cinematic format that tries to capture the concept of dream. It has more in common with a static piece of art, like a sculpture or a painting, than with anything that has a narrative. Bare that in mind when you sit down to watch it, and you won't regret the experience.

I'm a fan of obscure stuff, but this was something else. Watch the behind the scenes on youtube, it's much more interesting. A little tip for the filmmaker: people usually watch a movie for it's story. In this one there is literally zero of it, it could be a random camera test for all I know.