STUDIO: Sony Pictures Classics | DIRECTOR: Clint Bentley | CAST: Clifton Collins Jr., Moisés Arias, Molly Parker, Marlon St. Julien
EXPANDED THEATRICAL RELEASE DATE: Feb. 4, 2022
SPECS: R | 94 min. | DramaRATINGS (out of 5 dishes): Movie
Over the last few years, jockeys and horse trainers have been a common focus in the movies. We’ve had such efforts as Lean on Pete, The Mustang and The Rider centering on the equine world, each enjoying a fair degree of success.
Clifton Collins, Jr. and Molly Parker in Jockey
Now comes Jockey, a quiet, meditative study of a rider dealing with aging and a sudden surprise that affects his life. The rider is Jackson (Clifton Collins, Jr., Nightmare Alley) , a tough but solemn veteran of the track who is unsure of what lies in his future. He keeps associates at a distance, counting Ruth (Molly Parker, TV’s House of Cards), a horse owner, as one of his closest confidantes. Then, the 19-year-old Gabriel (Moises Arias, The King of Staten Island) enters his life, showing a great interest in becoming a jockey himself. Oh, yes: The kid also claims to be Jackson’s son, a notion Jackson immediately rejects.
The potentially highly dramatic situations that arise are handled in an understated fashion by co-writer and debuting director Clint Bentley. Jockey remains interesting to watch with some impressive cinematography capturing the real-life goings-on behind at the scenes at racetracks in Arizona. Collins, a reliable character presence in movies and TV for years, gets a rare starring opportunity here. He’s undeniably impressive in his low-key performance as he carries the weathered look of a man past his prime while trying to figure out the meaning of where he’s been and where he’s going.
Feted at a few major film festivals over the last year, Jockey has been lauded for keeping a sturdy and steady stride throughout. Unfortunately, it never kicks in dramatically. By film’s end, you realize that as a character study, it doesn’t reveal much character and leaves you wanting more and wishing the filmmaker would have pushed a little harder as they approached the finish line.
Leave a Reply