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.

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.

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!