JOCKEY

Clifton Collins, Jr.     Molly Parker     Moises Arias 

            Jockey is less about horse racing—although the sport is seen through windows of the plot—as about human relationships and their uncertainties from different perspectives.  The first window we see about being a jockey is the toll it takes on the body.  Jackson (Collins) and his mates in something of a group therapy session recount all the ways they have been injured and almost killed.  But their love of the sport keeps them engaged in it—sometimes longer than is advised.

            Jackson is one of those so identified with being a jockey it’s clear he can’t imagine doing anything else.  He has achieved national fame as a jockey to the extent that everyone seems to know who he is, if not personally, by reputation.  But—like many of his cohorts—he’s had a number of spinal and other injuries, and now is beginning to notice some of the long-term effects.  Proving his mettle, he tries to compensate in every way he can, including denying the seriousness of what he sees and is told by the doctor.

            Jackson has a long-term relationship with Ruth (Parker) his trainer through all kinds of high and low points.  They’ve spent a long time together, going over daily chores and decisions so that they’ve come to know each other very well.  She senses something, and asks probing questions, but he is not forthcoming.  Their biggest interest they have now is in a young horse they’ve just acquired which has great promise.  Jackson is convinced Leo is a winner and fantasizes about his participation in that achievement.

            A tangent in Jackson’s story comes in the form of a young aspiring jockey new on the scene.  Gabriel (Arias) has gotten wind of him and approaches him in a diner intending to mentor a new recruit.  He gets more information about Gabriel than he expected, which takes him aback and causes him to pull away.  After giving it some thought, though, he softens and begins to develop a kind of ambivalent friendship with Gabriel.

            The strength of this movie co-written with Greg Kwedar and directed by Clint Bentley (both to be credited for their previous Transpecos) is its attention to individuals—their quirks, their resemblances to others and humankind in general, and all the different kinds of dramas they will encounter over the course of their lives.  We’re given enough information about Jackson, Ruth, and Gabriel to see them in their uniqueness so that their relationships with one another are entirely sensible, even if not always sympathetic.  

            My experience of the story is that it is slow in the beginning, to the point that I thought, “This is interesting, but not engrossing”—although I understand this part is all about the set-up. About 2/3 of the way through, however, the plot starts to become gripping and suspenseful as to how it will turn out.  And by the end, it becomes clear how much depth the film has in making statements about its characters and life in general.

            Collins and Parker are well known to us as accomplished actors, and although Arias is not as well known, all three are perfectly cast for roles that highlight their skills.  Collins (also featured in Transpecos) for his “true grit”, Parker for her warmth and support in a friendship, and Arias as a “newbie” who needs to explain himself.

 

Jockey is a film for those who love seeing characters come to life as real people.

 

Grade:  B                              By Donna R. Copeland

MONOS

Moises Arias     Julianne Nicholson     Sofia Buenaventura    Julian Giraldo

Karen Quintero     Laura Castrillon     Delby Rueda     Paul Cubides     Sneider Castro

     

     Filmed in the lush countryside of Colombia by the artistic Jasper Wolf, Monos’ story perplexes and shocks against the backdrop of green mountains, dense jungles, and rushing waters or clear lakes and streams.  Some of the water scenes are breathtaking in capturing its myriad beauty while filming the chases and conflicts among the characters beneath the surface.  These scenes are in direct contrast to the typical roaring chases in most action films; the silent struggles taking place here are much more suspenseful and jarring.

     Director Alejandro Landes co-wrote the script with Alexis Dos Santos from a story he conceived.  It’s a disturbing account of a group of rebels in an unnamed South American country who are attacked repeatedly by the militia, necessitating frequent maneuvers to hide their location.  But as in any group, conflicts arise, sometimes based on competition either in love or war—or even by accident--but these are perhaps more striking and moving because this is a group teenagers.  An overseer comes by now and then to shape them up and strengthen their resolve, and they have frequent contact with leaders via radio communication.

     The first leader of the small group designated by the overseer is Wolf (Giraldo), who has also gotten permission to “partner” with Lady (Quintero), e.g., sleep together.  [Landes has named his characters with some humor; i.e. Wolf, Lady, Rambo, Bigfoot, Smurf, Dog, and Boom Boom.]   Perhaps this is intended to help us keep track of who is who, but I think most viewers will have to make some effort to remember all of them and their personalities and roles.

     At any rate, an eventful moment—perhaps an accident—results in tragedy, and consequently Bigfoot (Arias) is then put in charge.  

     In addition to fighting the militia, the group is charged with keeping a prisoner, a woman called La Doctora (Nicholson), an engineer who has been kidnapped by the rebels, but is persistent and courageous in trying to escape in the mountains, in the jungle, and in the rivers.  

     Sprinkled into a story with high tension, there are moments of humor, admirable skill and courage shown, as well as honesty.  During radio communication, members of the group are asked to comment, sometimes with surprising candor, but mostly glossing over truths.  

     Altogether, Monos is a photographic wonder, with a sometimes haunting, sometimes melodic, score by Mica Levi.  The plot by Landes and Dos Santos is intriguing and astute about humankind, but occasionally takes a fill-in-the-blanks approach, leaving the viewer to sort out the players and speculate about the plot.  This is especially true at the end, when significant threads are left hanging.

     Despite this, I applaud the movie’s creativity, beauty, and truth, and its presentation of colorful characters that are highly entertaining.

A picture about a group of colorful young rebels doing what they are known to do against the backdrop of war and abounding nature.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

FIVE FEET APART

Haley Lu Richardson     Cole Sprouse     Moises Arias     Kimberly Hebert Gregory

     Although not groundbreaking (c.f., Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Fault in our Stars, and Miss You Already and many others through the years), Five Feet Apart can be seen as an engaging story that is uplifting despite sad and disappointing turns of events. Director Justin Baldoni clearly knows of what he speaks (presumably from past experience) in a film about teenagers, the restrictions placed upon them by an illness (cystic fibrosis or CF), and how personality, past experience, and connections with others are all in play.

     The normalcy in this film about illness involves its two main characters, Stella (Richardson) and Will (Sprouse), who are polar opposites in personality and outlook on life finding common ground as they fall madly in love with one another. Each is good for the other. Stella’s self-described “OCD”, commitment to treatment, and a rosy outlook on life are juxtaposed against Will’s acerbic outlook and casualness toward treatment that frequently pushes boundaries.  They both have cystic fibrosis (and you will learn much about the disease in seeing the movie), which requires frequent hospitalizations, daily treatment regimens, and the proscription of contact with another person with CF; that is, they can have physical contact with family and friends, just not with fellow patients.

     The entertainment comes from the push-pull of the two developing real appreciation and caring for the other.  The dialog (writers, Nikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis) is both snappy and thoughtful while maintaining a reality base so that it doesn’t sound morbid or like something written for stand-up comedy.  This includes the fussiness of Nurse Barbara (Gregory) as she tries to keep the slightly rebellious teens in tow after getting “burned” once before (“Not again on my watch”, she proclaims), interactions among the CF patients, and messages from the medical staff to families.  

     Different kinds of guilt become a running theme woven into the main story.  Stella suffers from “not being there” at the right time for her sister.  Barbara feels guilty about loosening restrictions on two previous patients. One CF patient expressed distress about the burden of his illness being placed on his family.  In the course of the story, these troubles are sensitively addressed.  This is another example of how the film moves beyond the “death and dying” issue to deal with everyday concerns.

     One drawback of the film is toward the end when the filmmakers tease and pull the rug out from under the viewer.  Just how many last-second saves should be in any script?  But above all, Five Feet Apart demonstrates the importance of physical touch to all of us.  Not only is abstinence a strain when expressing delight, but it’s crushing in moments of grief.  We see how much Stella’s and Will’s minds and eyes have to make up for the absence of even the slightest physical connection.

     Haley Lu Richardson (Support the Girls, Columbus, The Edge of Seventeen) clearly lives up to her acting promise in portraying a complex teenager with major challenges behind and ahead of her.  Cole Sprouse, whose claim to fame rests primarily on the TV series, “Riverdale” in which he plays a lead role, shows a range of emotional sensitivities and ease with his character in this production that should prove his dramatic talent.  Essential to the success of this drama is Poe, expertly played by Moises Arias.  He is an important third in the Stella/Will drama in his contrast with Stella and Will and in his tempering/uniting their differences.

     Musicians Brian Tyler and Breton Vivian composed a wonderfully provocative score that captures and enhances so well the varying moods of Five Feet Apart.  

Ignore its potentially saddening subject; Five Feet Apart is an uplifting and inspiring film.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland