Jockey

This movie was made leaving everything on the field! Being an Arizona native, Clint Bentley captured the true nature of our hometown horse track surrounded by Arizona's beauty! Capturing the wild horses out at the Salt River is nothing short of incredible. This movie is magic in a jar! Clifton Collins Jr. "Jackson" made us feel! So many emotions weaved beautifully together in this film.

A simple, yet pretty decent film about an older jockey having to face the facts and the future. It's a rough job and it takes its toll never mind that it is naturally age limited like all athletes, most younger than this. As a fan of racing, I found much of the authenticity here refreshing as most films about racing are pretty fake such as the lousy Secretariat. Most films about horses are sad for some reason. Not all, but the majority. The three principle actors here, veteran Clifton Collins, Jr., Molly Parker and Moises Arias are all fine and I especially liked the relationship between Collins and Parker. They were very touching, however the relationship between Collins and Arias was more unusual and intriguing. There is next to no racing shown in this film, but that's okay as this is about the people, not the horses.

It has been said that the writer-director, whose father was a jockey, wrote the script with Clifton Collins Jr. In mind. During the movie we never learn the age of his character Jackson but Collins was about 50 during filming so I'm going with that age. A winning jockey at 50 or older is rare, in fact the great Bill Shoemaker was 54 when he won the 1986 Kentucky Derby and that, I believe, is the record. At least for big races.

This is a movie with little action but deep in character study. Almost all of it takes place at the Turf Paradise racetrack in Phoenix. Most of the "actors" are actual working jockeys and horse people. I believe there are only 4 characters portrayed by professional actors.

All this gives the movie an authentic feel, like we are looking at the real life and struggles of a 50-yr-old jockey with a number of medical issues, a jockey who knows his career is winding down. At one point he tells the long-time trainer "I believe a have two more good years in me."

This is a good movie, we care about each of the characters, and it gives a good glimpse into the real life of jockeys.

My wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library.

Greetings again from the darkness. "You gotta tell a horse when it's time to stop running." That line of dialogue is uttered in this racing film from writer-director Clint Bentley and co-writer Greg Kwedar, but the sentiment holds true for many others, including athletes, coaches, teachers, and politicians. For those who have spent their life pushing and driving, knowing when to stop does not come naturally. We learn this is so for jockeys, as well.

Clifton Collins Jr has long been one of our best and most intriguing character actors, and in a rare lead position, he becomes veteran jockey Jackson Silva. The man knows horses, but unfortunately, Father Time is catching up on the home stretch. Jackson is aging quickly as he fights to overcome a litany of injuries, including multiple broken backs. The timing for the end of one's passion is never good, and it's at this point where Jackson's long-time trainer, Ruth (Molly Parker), introduces him to "the horse" ... just in time for "the big race." Sure, it's all a bit convenient for a movie script, but it matters little, because filmmaker Bentley and actor Collins expertly capture the culture of racing in a naturalistic and organic way. Jackson carries himself with the quiet pride of a man who understands he's spent his life doing what he was meant to do.

As if on cue, young aspiring jockey Gabriel Boulliet (Moises Arias) shows up and informs that Jackson is his father - the result of a long ago fling with Gabriel's mother. Initially taken aback, Jackson and Gabriel form a strained bond through working out, training, and riding. In many movies, this story line would shift into eye-rolling melodrama, but that never occurs. Instead, filmmaker Bentley (whose dad was a jockey) maintains an organic feel by allowing a few real-life jockeys (including Scott Stevens and Logan Cormier) to exchange war stories. We hear firsthand accounts of the risks involved, and how these riders often become expendable.

Mr. Collins has westerns and horses in his acting bloodline - his grandfather shared the screen with John Wayne in RIO BRAVO (1959). It may not hurt that Collins is married to Clint Eastwood's daughter, yet mostly he comes across as a natural fit around horses and the track. His subtle masculinity is balanced by Ruth's ambition, and Collins shares a nice rapport with Ms. Parker, as well as with Mr. Arias. This is not the type of film where the horse racing takes center stage. In fact, we see no actual racing, and most of the riding scenes are performed in silence, rather than with the usual thundering hooves pounding the track. This is the epitome of a small movie and cinematographer Adolfo Veloso captures the intimacy of the characters. The story takes a backseat to the main characters, and we find ourselves right there in conversation with them.

Opening January 28, 2022.

Jockey follows an aging jockey as he aims for a final championship when a rookie rider arrives claiming to be his son. This feels like The Mustang to me in style. Clint Bentley does very well directing. He also co-writes the story with Greg Kwendar. It took me a while to get into it and I did have some pacing issues throughout. Getting past all that, this is a beautiful movie. Clifton Collins Jr., who won an award for his acting here, does very well. He leads the whole thing from start to finish. We also have to good performances from Molly Parker and Moises Arias. The cinematography is beautiful and same with the score. This feels like one of those good indie movies that no one knows about. The story does go in places where you'd expect it to and I wanted more diversity in what it had to offer. Still, this is a solid movie.