Bull

My wife and I just finished watching this movie last night, our main reaction is how realistic it all feels. Many of the characters are portrayed by unseasoned, or even first-time, actors and it all comes across as authentic. Instead of watching actors play roles it feels like I was actually watching real life unfold.

There are two main characters, the first is Rob Morgan as Abe, former bull rider who now works rodeos as one of the guys who distracts bulls and protects the rider after he is on the ground. He lives in a run-down little house and has chickens in the yard.

The second is local first-time actress Amber Havard as 14-yr-old Kris, she lives down the street with her grandmother and little sister, her mother is in prison but hoping to get out soon. It is clear that Kris has little guidance, doesn't pay attention in school, and is easily influenced by the wrong crowd of boys and men. But she has spunk and gradually decides in what direction her life will go.

The catalyst for the story comes when Kris' dog kills one of Abe's chickens, he scolds her, warns that he will shoot the dog next time, and when he is in San Antonio on a rodeo job Kris and her friends throw a party in Abe's house and trashes it. Being a basically good and caring person Abe gives her a chance, if she will clean up his place and continue to do odd jobs to help out then he won't press charges.

The meat of the story is the bond Kris and Abe gradually form, when her mother gets in yet another prison fight and her release is delayed indefinitely Kris realizes she has little chance of a conventional family life, it appears that Abe will become her unofficial adopted dad. And through it all Kris decides she wants to become a bull rider.

My wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library. It was filmed primarily in a local north Houston area called Acres Homes, just 4 or 5 miles NW of downtown

Bull is the debut feature film of Annie Silverstein. She has come a long way from being a youth program coordinator to a Cannes Film Festival nominee. In 2014, she presented her short film Skunk in Cannes. The director has now returned with the premiere of her new movie in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival.

In the movie Bull, Annie Silverstein once again shows us provincial America where everything is too straightforward, too obvious and too cruel. The film is set on the outskirts of Houston, in a small town with its weirdos and losers. The town itself conforms to all our stereotypes, as we see dilapidated ranchos, outdated entertainment and people who can't give up their habits.

The given film is not about overwhelming victories or frantic attempts to reach ambitious goals. It is about the world where there are no prospects, but people are stubbornly trying to find them.

Kris, a teenager whose mother serves her sentence in prison, does not have any future expectations. She lives with a sick, authoritative grandmother, a little sister and a dog that strangles chickens in the neighborhood.

The girl is not like her peers, her thoughts are too mature. Even when she tries to blend in, it turns out to be a disaster, as she becomes the person she does not want to be.

She has no life she could dream of. Kris sees no way out of her mother's confinement and her own helplessness. At the age of 14 she strives to be better and older looking for the opportunities to earn money to provide for herself.

And the girl does grow older, but performing the deeds she is ashamed of, doing something that makes her get out of her comfort zone.

On the other hand, we see Abe, a former rodeo cowboy. He cannot quit his job, as it is a job of his life; even after giving up his career he keeps distracting bulls from other cowboys. He is the man who the life of a jockey depends on after an angry bull has flung its rider off.

Bull or horse rodeos are common pastime in the east of the United States. Entrance fee to such events ranges from $ 5 to $ 20 and the events themselves attract crowds of people. Modern animal rights activists have many arguments against holding the rodeos. Yet, what else can you do to enjoy yourself in a small town where the only thing you look out for is the lives of others? How can you stop participating in rodeos if they mean the world to you, they have become your universe? As soon as you go beyond it, you will die. Therefore, it is much easier to endure financial hardship, suffer from pain and fatigue than change something.

Abe's body resembles the body of a martyr. The way he treats it reminds us of unconscious self-torture. He does not seem to have enough willpower or motivation to start all over again.

At first glance, it may appear that the characters of the film are held hostage by the situation. In order to get out of the gulf of doubts, they have to make the right choice answering a number of questions - what, when, why... do we have to do anything at all?

All throughout the film, every single choice the characters make changes them dramatically. What is better - to get into a juvenile colony or apologize? Win your love back or persist in self-destruction?

Kris and Abe, seemingly incompatible people (at first sight), are drawn to each other like magnets. In the films, as well as in real life, it is not infrequent to encounter plots which revolve around people who find each other, 'break' each other and then 'mend'. The story which unfolds in Bull is a vivid example. In the beginning, you would not dare to say that these two can have something in common; you would not consider them to be capable of teaching each other, giving and receiving something in return.

Unexpectedly, though, the main heroes realize that there is somebody they can count on. The care they take of each other is manifested either in loyal support or complete inaction - unassuming and silent, but at the same time firm in spite of the mistakes and insults which were made either by themselves or others.

The characters bombard others with their problems, hurt everybody around while trying to assert themselves. Being indifferent, they rarely think about the people who surround them. Under such circumstances true friends are found and great trust is gained.

Despite the disappointment (be it with life, with yourself or each other), Kris and Abe have found people who do care. For them rodeo is not just about money. It is the desire to start everything from scratch or support the existing tradition. It turns into the confrontation, the struggle against the circumstances and themselves.

There are no goodies or baddies in the given movie. As a result, we do not feel too much sympathy for the heroes. The setting of the film does not allow us to forget that we are told the story of people who could live at any time and in any society. They are lonely, lost and rejected by others. Some might even call them narrow-minded. Still, together they are able to build a real life. The sense of unity empowers them so that they can sail against the wind.

They learn not to rush to battle, but play a waiting game. In life, as in bull rodeo, you have to take a break once in a while. After fate has taken its hand in your life rewarding you with numerous bruises, it thinks it has won as you are too weak to fight. Yet, the very moment it loses vigilance, we know who the game will be finally won by.

After all, everyone deserves a little happiness.

14 year old Kris and her younger sister live with their grandmother since their mother is in prison. Her neighbor Abe is a black rodeo cowboy struggling to stay on the circuit despite suffering injuries. He comes home to find Kris had trashed his place with a party. He reluctantly agrees to allow her to work as compensation. Her mother tells her about a plan to buy a double-wide to reunite with the family. They need $3k which they don't have but Kris intends to get it.

I really like these characters who are the stuck in the trash heaps of society. I like Abe's quiet dignity and his self-reliance. Their initial connection is great. He's looking around scared as the little girl is screaming for help. It all has the feel of reality including the girl's low energy quiet performance. The only problem arises in the climatic scene where I had hoped that she could raise her energy output to punch an exclamation point in her performance. She's not really an actual actress. She's only a kid. That's why I like her in the first place.

It appears that a few "critics" are bothered by the fact that this isn't a fast paced action thriller directed by Michael Bay. "What! No transforming aliens looking to protect Shia from Megatron?" If you're a 15 yr old looking for an alien invasion flick, go elsewhere. If you're a mature adult who appreciates a good story, keep reading.

The plot evolves at just the right tempo to keep you engaged but not so much that you lose sight of the character development unfolding from the opening credits. Crystal's milieu makes it easy to sympathize with her character but it's done so naturally rather than the more contrived methods you might be used to in larger commercially produced films. The ending seems non-traditional and pedestrian but only to those who are used to a cowboy riding off into the sunset. This movie is authentic, raw, and original, and I would watch again.

It seems that the two types of opinion regarding this film are either from those against cruelty to animals or the ones who don't think it has anything to do with cruelty to animals,......... Let's put that subject to one side, Bull is a pretty well made film, that's well cast but doesn't offer anything particularly new regarding story. It is obvious it has been created with heart and talent even though it falls short with originality. Scored it 5, might be low to some but I think it hits right in the middle with satisfaction. Will happily look into the cast and crew filmography!