Jappeloup

"Jappeloup" is a French movie about a jumping horse that, against the odds (isn't it ALWAYS that way?), went on to be a champion. I don't think such a film would have been in the USA, as most folks don't care about show jumping.

The story begins in the late 1970s. Pierre Durand loves show jumping and is in search of a new horse. At first, they refuse to buy Jappeloup. After all, he's not the typical jumper, being a hybrid of a tropper and a thoroughbred. He's also quite small compared to other jumpers. Yet, despite the odds, you KNOW what will happen by the end of the story.

This is an extremely well made, albeit predictable film. After all, they wouldn't do a film about a horse that loses the big competition, would they? Yet despite this, you find yourself rooting for the horse. Overall an enjoyable and very well made sports movie and a lovely horse.

By the way, Durand is also a lawyer and apparently he was NOT thrilled with the film and sued the filmmakers. What came of this, I have no idea.

I was reluctant to go for the ride. I think movies about great horses cannot make great movies, even if they are very well done they only cater for a limited public: kids if it's mostly a fable, or connoisseurs if it's more of a true story.

Then I am no fan of Guillaume Canet. The lack of depth in his turf plus the fact that he envisioned the Jappeloup story as 'Rocky meets jumpers' really did not appeal to me. And even if I was crazy about jumping I would have had these many reservations.

Now Jappeloup has been cleverly crafted around the choices that rider Pierre Durand had to face, with the central paternal figure played to perfection by Daniel Auteuil. This is enough to tell an emotional story that peaks with every jumping show.

The seminal choice for Durand to leave his lawyer job to live his passion to the full is well timed, but emotion really lies with the father's simple and heartfelt lines. The father then comes on schedule to ease the stress while his son only appears as bland, more obstinate than really passionate about riding, let alone about his horse.

The groom character created as a proxy for the horse-rider relationship is not really interesting. It shaves a narrative challenge off the main character's shoulders, only making him look vain and passive before others - the groom (Lou de Laâge), his father, his wife (Marina Hands) - steer him in the right direction.

In the end, the mere succession of key jumping events starts to be too much, all the more so as the father is no longer there. And maybe the movie lacks Daniel Auteuil to deliver the final word, because in the end there is no sense of a lesson learnt. The journey was emotionally charged but the minute after we arrived it's all gone.

There are few film genres that have a formula as firmly established as the sports drama. This does not specifically reflect on their quality, yet: training, competition, uncertainty, failures, successes, inspiration, personal and professional hardships - one could practically set a clock by the standard. 'Jappeloup' definitely fits into the same mold, and it informs us from the start what to expect by alternately swirling together sports action, big sentimental beats, or maybe a little bit of both. As Clinton Shorter's score dabbles with post-rock airiness amidst its strings, built to pointedly tug on our hearts, the tenor is cemented once and for all. Take all this as you will, but one other facet that's striking is how the picture somewhat struggles with transitions. I don't even mean Richard Marizy's editing, which is quite fine; rather, somewhere between Guillaume Canet's screenplay and Christian Duguay's realization of it, I feel like this has a hard time conveying the passage of time, the development of the titular horse as a competitor, the personal arcs and decision-making of characters, and so on. The result is that the storytelling is shortchanged to some degree, especially unfortunate in light of the constant push and pull of highs and lows, and what seems like particular emphasis of "drama" over "sports." All this is to say that one way or another, it's not a title that could ever be perfect, and it maybe even comes across as the type of fare that, were it an American production, might get labeled as "Oscar bait."

Be all that as it may, however - by golly, it works. 'Jappeloup' knows exactly what type of movie it is, and embraces that tenor for better and for worse. As both actor and especially writer, and with his own experience in showjumping, Canet obviously saw this as a passion project to tell the story of Pierre Durand and Jappeloup, and he did it within the rote guidelines of cinematic tradition. There's also an unmistakable feeling that this was made by an athlete for athletes, as the rules and practices of the sport aren't necessarily elucidated for the layperson (in contrast, check out 2001's 'Lagaan,' by far my personal favorite sports film), but to me that only affirms Canet's bent. And for however much one may him and haw about the details, the fact remains that by and large this is very well done. One arguable advantage of working within a formula is that Canet, Duguay, and all others involved could focus more on getting all those essential beats just right; even if in some cases the feature is a tad too on the nose, I don't think there's much disputing how excellent it is overall. The cast give superb performances across the board, to the point that it's hard to pick favorites. Naturally Canet has the most prominence, but Marina Hands, Duaniel Auteuil, Lou de Laâge, Jacques Higelin, and others all have their time to shine, too, and they invariably make the most of it to achieve the intended emotional impact. The dramatic beats may fit into a discrete pattern, including the climax, but to whatever extent they're tropes, they're also meaningful. The stunts and riding that characterize the sports action are utterly superb, a credit to the equines and their trainers as much as the human performers.

Ronald Plante's cinematography is just as noteworthy as Duguay's direction; on one hand the orchestration of shots and scenes, and on the other, the active photography that accomplishes some especially vivid moments. In the direction, cinematography, and in the production design at large lot of detail was poured into this to immerse viewers in Durand and Jappeloup's world, making it easy to get into the spirit of the sport even if all of its minutiae elude us. And in all other regards the picture is admirably well made. Truthfully, while there are noteworthy issues that place upper limits on the title's success, it's much better than not. Even within a tried and true framework, the strengths of 'Jappeloup' - primarily its storytelling, sports action, and acting - handily outshine subjective faults. There's welcome sincerity to the proceedings that pairs nicely with a viewing experience that's heartfelt, entertaining, and highly satisfying. It may not represent a singular stroke of brilliance, but nor does it reach beyond its grasp. When all is said and done I think this is a movie that's a fine credit to all who participated, and it's gratifying in spotlighting a relatively less well known sports story. You don't necessarily need to go out of your way for it, but if you do have the chance to watch 'Jappeloup,' it's well worth anyone's time.

Never heard of Jappeloup but watched the film because I love horses. Did not waste my time for everyone involved with the film was superb. Such a moving film and such a pleasure to experience the highs and lows and the ultimate success of such a magnificent animal. Viva le France

Jappeloup is a beautifully shot film ostensibly about the titular horse, who with Pierre Durand aboard, won gold for France at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games in the show - jumping event. Directed by Christian Duguay and co-scripted by lead, Guillaume Canet (himself surprisingly, a very experienced junior equestrian), playing Durand, it's really one of those films probably best appreciated by horsey people. It charts the extremely episodic rise of the pair, including a near disastrous stint at the 1984 Los Angles Olympics, before the grand finale at Seoul.

Unfortunately Jappeloup is mostly uninterested in the horse that it's titled after. It never goes any way to offering an explanation as to why Jappeloup himself, is recognised as a national hero in France, or even regarded internationally as one of the very great show-jumping equines. There's a post credits cursory reference to the fact that Jappeloup's competition retirement ceremony was held at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. But viewers of this extremely long biopic, are completely left in the dark, as to what really made the horse special, apart from a singular reference that he was small, but jumped well.

Instead we get a way too-detailed, decade long look at the life of Durand and his family members, with an overly special emphasis (Why, I have no idea.) placed on his father Serge, played very agreeably by Daniel Auteuil. Trials and tribulations are met and slowly overcome. Births, deaths, marriages and uneasiness about chosen vocations are slowly explored, before a sudden dramatic near disaster involving a fiery float near a busy freeway, leads us to an emotional, but ironically almost too brisk climax.

Boasting exceedingly strong production values, a strong cast and convincing locations, Jappeloup nevertheless, as a story, drags its reins. At 130 minutes long, it is filled with too many unnecessary situation human dramas and barely scratches the surface of its supposedly featured subject. It is unable to muster much excitement, or even make a good case for the horse's significance. Superficially to this layman, it appears to stick relatively closely to the key facts. But the fact that the real life Pierre Durand sued the film's producers, doesn't add much lustre to this much too, run of the mill story.