"It's been a while since I've seen a film where the director is so trusting in the audience to have the patience and appreciation of film as an artistic expression when telling a deliberately slow and brooding story.
We follow a young rodeo rider recovering from a head injury. As he suffers from hand seizures, vomiting, and mental decline, we watch his life set against the beautiful backdrop of the South Dakota badlands. There are long, lingering shots of the scrub lands and farms in evening sunset, each blade of grass or rusted farm equipment framed like a painting.
There is a recurrent theme of dealing with loss and working through it - whether it be physical or symbolic. The rider struggles to break away from what has been his entire life. There are achingly beautiful long shots of him training young, wild horses through mostly nonverbal actions, the emotional connection and understanding of the confused and frightened animals genuine and entrancing.
Ultimately, the selling point here is the gentle validity the film exudes. The film uses all non actors playing fictionalised versions of themselves, and the performances are stunning considering this"
- 8.5/10
Excellent film considering all actors are not professional but playing themselves with a storyline that keeps your interests going to the end
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