The Rider

[+ Cash4Trash]

I saw this on Friday and liked it a good deal. The director, Chloe Zhao, has said it's a doc-drama - a scripted film telling the true story of rodeo cowboy Brady Janreau who suffered a catastrophic head injury while in the ring. All of the "actors" are amateurs including Brady, his father, his sister and friends basically playing their story. You become immersed in their world. Helps that the star - Brady - is attractive and charismatic.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_rider

 

Here's an interesting interview with the director. https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/better-than-wages-chloe-zhao-discusses-the-rider

 

Check it out.

Edited April 16, 2018 by Cash4Trash

[+ beethoven]

I liked this movie, but be warned that it's a real downer. When I was in college, centuries ago, "slice of life" was a phrase that was tossed around a lot. This movie is sort of that; not much plot, good character development, and illuminates a small segment of a young male population whose existence revolves around rodeos. These people don't have much education, and few prospects for a better life. I'm not familiar with the director, who has made other movies, but this one is a triumph of film-making. This woman is an artist, and she has gotten the best from her cast of amateurs. The movie got very high scores on Metacritic.com, and deserves them.