Winner of a Special Jury Award at Sundance and nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards, Jockey is a low-key sports drama from Clint Bentley (screenwriter of Transpecos, 2016). His directorial debut is an atypical and absorbing tale about Jackson (Clifton Collins Jr.), an aging jockey who suffered many injuries over the years. However, a new opportunity arises when his trainer Ruth (Molly Parker) acquires a horse that could well be a winner. Despite the physical toll, he regains a sense of hope to face what could be his last championship. But the arrival of Gabriel (Moises Arias, Kings of Summer), a young jockey who claims to be his son, complicates his life even more.
More intimate than sporty (albeit with some very compelling competition scenes), Jockey skillfully tackles old age, fatherhood and sacrifice. The cinematography is painfully beautiful and harsh, with images of landscapes, sunsets, silhouettes and shadows.
Credits
Year: 2021
Runtime: 94′
Country: USA
Direction: Clint Bentley
Screenplay: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar
Cast: Clifton Collins Jr., Molly Parker, Moises Arias, Logan Cormier, Vincent Francia, Marlon St. Julien
Cinematography: Adolpho Veloso
Genre: Sports Drama
Subtitles: Guillermo Parra
Contact: Sony
Wins & nominations
2021: Sundance Film Festival
2021: Toronto International Film Festival
