Jockey avoids everything that is formulaic. As its title implies, its setting is horse racing, but it doesn’t even show more than snatches of a horse race. Instead, it plunges the viewer into the experience of an aging jockey, Jackson Silva, whose body has taken enough punishment over the years that his career is practically over.
However, despite that and a doctor’s warning, he feels that he still has one more race in him. At the same time, when he meets a young jockey claiming to be a son he never knew, he also feels that this may be the chance to leave a legacy in the racing world that has filled his whole being.
What follows is a gentle meditation on the evanescence of life, an understated reminder that time inevitably takes its toll, and that the most important and fulfilling thing in life is not so much what we do, but the relationships we build while we do it. All this is narrated in a muted fashion against a stunning background of Arizona beauty.
Director Clint Bentley perfectly matches the mood of the story with scenes of sunrise, sunset, campfires, and softly lit interiors. It is a truly gorgeous film to look at. Clifton Collins Jr., an actor who has until now played only bit parts, so perfectly fills the role of the central character that one could easily be convinced he has spent his whole life in and around horse racing. It is a subtle and perfectly nuanced performance.
There are no villains except the ravaging impact of the passage of time. The rest of the cast superbly builds an equally compelling portrait of the gritty reality behind the glamorous facade of horse racing: Moises Arias as the young, ambitious jockey and Molly Parker as a caring, warm-hearted trainer join Collins and the rest of the amazing cast in building a narrative aimed at the mind and heart.
For those who are willing to endure some objectionable language but who like their entertainment to be thought-provoking and truly authentic in tone, Jockey is most welcome.
