A veteran jockey is starting to come to terms with the fact that his body will soon force him to retire. That is until two new arrivals enter his life to complicate his decision. 

Jackson Silva (Clifton Collins Jr.) has been riding for quite some time. Having broken his back at least three times that he can remember he is starting to experience occasional seizures that numb the right hand side of his body. Whilst contemplating his future he meets a young jockey called Gabriel (Moises Arias) who believes Jackson is his father and his trainer Ruth (Molly Parker) introduces him to Dido’s Lament, the type of horse Jackson never dreamed he would get to ride. 

Jackson’s outlook on life now begins to change. Can he experience one final season of success on Dido’s Lament? Is Gabriel his son and if so can he pass on the torch of being a professional jockey? 

Jockey sounds like a cliché to some extent. A sports movie about a journeyman facing retirement attempting to bond with their long lost son. But you would be sorely mistaken and missing out on a beautiful film if you dismissed it with such short shrift. 

I was often reminded of Darren Aronfsky’s The Wrestler throughout. Both films feature slightly less glamorous sports in films that are far more interested in the behind the scenes grit than the actual event of the sport. They also both feature absolutely stunning lead performances. 

Clifton Collins Jr. is simply superb throughout and delivers the performance of his career. After being a chameleonic character actor for so long it is fantastic to see him carry a film so brilliantly as the lead. Surrounded by real life equestrians he not only makes us believe he is one but he allows them to give us true insight into the pain and turmoil they go through to ride horses. This is never more true than in a scene where jockeys in an Alcoholics Anonymous type setting discuss the injuries they have suffered and how they keep on going. 

Alongside Collins we have fantastic support from Parker and Arias. Parker lights up the screen and Arias gets to share some wonderful scenes of father/son bonding with Collins. 

I have not even talked about Adolpho Veloso’s cinematography yet or co-writer/director Clint Bentley’s authentic screenplay yet either. Veloso shoots in magic hour with handheld cameras with lots of tight close ups and natural shadows. Focusing on Collins emotive face with sunsets behind him. Whilst Bentley, whose father was a jockey is happy to let the characters talk in the sort of language that you will not fully understand if you were not embroiled in the sport. 

A thoroughly brilliant character study with an awards worthy lead performance.