User reviews

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.

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.

Clint Bentley really portraits his character very well. He definitely showed his struggle in his health & in his jockey career. The storyline was just okay, wish more highlights.

I found a film without sex or violence that moves an audience's soul as those tropes never could. Jockey is intensely character driven with an unlikely hero, Jackson (Clifton Collins Jr.), a middle-aged jockey whose glory days are behind him but who conveys the hope that more may yet be coming. What he has accumulated, however, are some dear associates like horse-trainer Ruth (Molly Parker), with a hint of love on both sides but mainly horse-business. They resemble carnival workers committed to roaming the range with working-class races and a freedom not to be seen again.

Writer-director Clint Bentley (son oof a jockey) and writer Greg Kwedar have created a manly and humble hero, with heroic touches, who faces the biggest race of all, middle age with its broken bones and mysterious aches and threats from younger, healthier bucks. The main annoyance is his putative son, Gabriel (Moises Arias), who requires an emotional connection Jackson is slow to adopt.

Yet, Jackson meets each challenge with an inner goodness to slowly enrich a life he might have forsaken. As he offers his seasoned riding boots to Gabriel, the sweetness of this aging rider is manifest.

No grand action intrudes the minimalist plot, just a slow regret for parts of life not lived but now renewed in small acts of kindness. After all, the action takes place at a track in Phoenix, where lenser Adolfo Veloso has caught the glowing sunsets as Arizona has every night, each an emblem of loss to be followed by a sunrise of rebirth.

You'll not see a more soothing, poignant, and reaffirming indie this year-quite the opposite of The Power of the Dog, but in a similar way artfully painting the inevitable changes of time. Nomadland better expresses what Jockey hopes to do: reaffirm human dignity and its hope for a better life.

Here is a blockbuster antidote that satisfies as only an intelligent minimalist work of art can because it's all about character.

Interesting insight into the life of a journeyman jockey, highlighting not only the physical problems they put their body through but also the downside on their mental health Clifton Collins in the lead role gave a good stab at it though being a racing fan have to say he didn't look much like a jockey. It's a slow moving drama but film length is about right I feel there is a great film to be made about this subject matter, but though a brave effort this is not it. However good to see a horse racing film concentrating more on the participants rather then the animals, especially given all the great characters over the years this sport has produced.

This movie about a broken down jockey at the end of his career is good, but very slow moving.

Excellent acting saves this film.

I think horse racing fans will like it.

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.

This movie shows no actual of horse racing, i love horse racing movies but this is just a total bore, sorry but a massive 1/10.

I was looking forward to wayching this and it spoilt my entire night. Utter rubbish.

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.

Which usually means a low budget independent product, while being boring, meandering and with little plot.

This film would qualify on all counts for most viewers I think. However, it had its moments and I personally had no problem watching it to the end on the strength of the fine acting by the principal players, while the rest were obviously amateurs you're unlikely ever to see again... unless they're local to your area and you happen to bump into them at the mall.

I went in thinking this movie would play out one way and it surprised me with how real the story felt. Actors were incredible and you can tell the Director has a documentary background. Highly recommend!

Jockey

This movie was just terrible from start to finish, it is just difficult to know where to start. To be frank it was a movie that didn't need to be made at all. Filmmaker tell stories and there just didn't seem to be any story of note worth telling here!

Firstly a movie needs to educate, entertain or inform, this movie failed on all three counts. Secondly all drama is a compression of reality over conflict, this lacked any compression, it seemed practically in real time and as for conflict there was none.

We had scene after scene that rattled off lists of injuries that the different jockeys had sustained, how is this a script. Unsurprisingly jockeys get injured, an unremarkable observation that could be made of any physical endeavour from sport to lumberjack.

Shock horror jockeys have a working life and retire, we all do that.

The dialogue was mundane in the extreme, nothing was discussed except injuries, horses, the next race and trainers. This sad bunch of peoples down time was merely spend drinking themselves to oblivion. This didn't seem a life worth living so why did they bother at all, why not make different life choices.

The "potential" story of a son that wasn't, was so badly handled it was like a film school project that scored a D minus.

The acting was pedestrian, the dialogue banal with unvarying cinematography and the whole thing bagged and sagged, lugubriously lurching from one clunky scene to the next. It had a similar tone to Nomadland, another movie that needn't have been made.

Lastly if we wanted reality or authenticity then this should be served in a documentary format, this movie was neither fish nor foul and stunk to high heaven.

This is a weak 1 outta 10, meaning a colossal bore no one should watch.

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.

I was pleasantly surprised with Jockey's narrative as it did entwine some of the Seabiscuit narratives of the hardships of jockeying while also including seedier elements of what goes on when the race is over depicted in David Milch's short-lived (10 episodes,) Dustin Hoffman led HBO series, Luck. Much of jockey was shot on location at the Surf Paradise Racetrack in Phoenix, Arizona. In my opinion, what separated Jockey from Seabiscuit is the depth Bentley gets from the actors and the writing is excellent. Bentley shares a writing credit with Greg Kwedar, whose self-claimed mission is to tell stories of human connection in difficult places. Mission accomplished as Jockey orbits around a series of multi-faceted relationships with some profound emotional depths. And what separated Jockey from Luck is the intimate focus on the jockey and less focus on stable shenanigans. Very highly recommended viewing!

'Smiling Jockey' was in my list of films to watch, I knew nothing about it other than a couple of remarks that made it sound interesting. I sat down with a drink and put it on. I liked the low angle dusk/dawn shots that occured throughout the movie, but the soundtrack wasn't perfect and I would haved subtitles. I looked for them after watching the movie for 10 minutes but found none. I continued watching, and at many points wondered am i watching actual people talking about actual events, or are these actors, acting out a story or true-life event. I'm still not sure.

The camerawork continued to be good, but most of the visual was head to head talking, and by the halfway mark I thought I had made a mistake with this movie. I continued by fast forwarding the film, and watching a few scenes until the end where I watched the final 10 minutes at normal speed. A little action - which was welcome in a film about horse racing - but it failed to make the movie much more interesting and so I put this one to bed with a low rating. Sorry! Would have been a '1' but the camerawork make it a '2.'

Jockey is a very intriguing movie. In terms of sports films it sits alongside peers like The Wrestler. The focus isn't the sport but the man, exploring the affects of his sporting life on his psyche, his relationships, and his body.

Clifton Collins Jr gives an incredible performance as ageing and injured jockey Jackson. It's a very deep, layered, and enthralling performance, with lots to dig into. A very well written character with a brilliant actor in the saddle.

Supporting performances from Moises Arias and Molly Parker are great, but Collins Jr steals the show.

The story is good, maybe could have explored a few elements a bit more and gone a bit farther, and somehow felt a bit drawn out despite being only 90 minutes long. However there are many great emotional beats and lots to connect to. Overall a very solid and engaging screenplay.

What is really beautiful about this film though is the photography and style. Simply put it looks gorgeous and is a treat to look at.

The slow pace and relatively lack of story points may not be for everyone, but the meditative and reflective style, the stunning cinematography, and the stellar leading performance make Jockey a fantastic watch in my book.

I like Jockey because it is a movie full of inspiring scenes. The storyline is very interesting and worth watching.

Jockey is about a famous and talented jockey named Jackson (Clifton Collins, Jr.) Jackson is looking forward to winning his last race, but he has been suffering from pain due to the multiple injuries through the years of competing in horse races. He meets this young man named Gabriel (Moises Arias) who claims to be his son and starts working with him. Jackson is not happy about the news, but still takes him under his wing and trains him to be a jockey. Jackson feels threatened by Gabriel because he becomes a good jockey and might take his place soon. The film has a twist that will leave the audience in awe. You need to watch the movie to find out.

Jockey is written by Clint Bentley and directed by Bentley and Greg Kwedar. It has beautiful scenery like the sun rising above a lake. The music is appealing and goes well with each scene. My favorite scene is when Jackson is training Gabriel at the jockey's training gym. Gabriel sits on a horse-like device. It shows how jockeys gain confidence training on this device, how they work on their grip and how to manage a horse.

The moral of this movie is that being vain doesn't take you anywhere. Jackson is a proud and vain jockey. He thinks he's so good that he's irreplaceable until he realizes he is not the young jockey he used to be. It took Gabriel to open his eyes.

I give Jockey 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 13 to 18, plus adults. This movie is rated R. Jockey will be released in theaters on February 4, 2022. By Ethan P., KIDS FIRST!

It does start out a little slow, but I actually didn't mind because it paints the perfect picture of the story line and of what's to come with some definite surprises. Clifton Collins Jr ( Jackson ) and Moises Arias ( Gabriel ) fit their roles perfect! What really made the movie really draw me in was the jockey Logan Cormier who had no previous acting portrayed his role well and made his character one that you become to really like! Having a racing background and having the opportunity to be an extra, I really liked how the cast and crew listened to the ideas we had and when we would tell them things we see in other horse racing movies that would drive us insane they did their best to not make the same mistakes! Working with the cast and crew on this movie was one of the greatest moments of my life. One that I will never forget!

A Raw uncompromising portrayal by Clifton Collins Jr ! Deep character study. Impressive Support from Molly Parker and Moises Arias. Race sequences Surreal !

I had the good fortune of seeing Mr Collins at a Restaurant in Ventura few years back and He shook my Hand. Did not know for sure until I looked it up but he reminded me of his Late Grandfather Gonzalez Gonzalez Gonzalez who was famous for His Appearance on You Bet Your Life with Groucho Marx and collaborations with John Wayne. If You Wish look for his Podcast Interview with Maltin on Movies from 2018.

This is a stupid movie with no plot! That has no direction and for the entire of wanting for something to happen, nothing does! It's a waste of time. I have no idea what is going on past or present. Where is the action! It is all boring and nothing to see. A total waste of time. This movie should be shelved because it does not deliver anything rational. There is nothing to see but a film that drags on and on about nothing. This movie failed and lost its way from the beginning. I do not recommend.

This film is so beautifully shot. You can tell a lot of care went into it. The acting is also great. I know there's a ton of horse movies out there, but I really fell for this.

Enjoyed the movie, a lot of good emotion, an interesting change focusing on the jockey's face during races. Good use of the sunset theme paralleling the end of the jockeys career. The fire and sunsets kept me in a reflective mood which I thought was perfect for this movie.

I liked it a lot

good acting, story, characters

and maybe because I'm aging too, and have to smile while I say goodbye to some things

this needs to be longer, but I have nothing more to say about the movie.

There's nothing particularly original about "Jockey"; we've been down this Indie road numerous times before and yet Clint Bentley's debut feature is a constant pleasure nevertheless, a throwback to something Bob Rafelson might have made in the seventies and which Chloe Zhao has been turning out in the last few years. The lack of originality lies in the screenplay which is about an ageing jockey, (a superb Clifton Collins Jr., in what might be a career best performance), coping with the onslaught of a debilitating illness while dealing with the revelation that the up-and-coming young jockey on the horizon, (Moises Arias), may be his son.

What gives this film its considerable edge is director Bentley's superlative handling of familiar material and the brilliant performances of Collins Jr,, Arias and Molly Parker as the warm-hearted trainer with more than a soft spot for Collins while the luminous cinematography of Adolpho Veloso perfectly captures the ambiance of the circuit of horses and their riders. Of course, don't expect this little gem to turn up at your local multiplex but seek it out wherever it's showing. I guarantee you won't regret it.