The Rider

As I'm currently recovering from a serious injury and surgery myself, I could easily relate to the story of a discouraged individual attempting to pick up the pieces of his broken life. Despite having zero acting experience, it's fair to say Brady gives a truly commendable leading performance. Coupled with some intimate camera work and a textured sound design, Zhao has crafted an engaging and nuanced tale of resilience and determination after life has kicked you in the balls. Recommended!

A profoundly moving story crafted by a gifted artist. Its bones are built from purestrain truth, so it's more than easy to get swept away by the boy's feelings of destitution as his dreams of riding the prairie are unceremoniously torn from him. You see things in this film that you simply won't anywhere else. It visually expresses a love for horses and connecting with them the same way Cormac McCarthy writes about it.

In its best moments, this lyrical and very engaging character piece is a strong candidate for film of the year. But some of the more emotional stuff (with the main character's sister and, especially, with his institutionalized friend) rubbed me the wrong way somehow. Maybe it was simply too sad and real for me to handle.

In which a bunch of broken people try to pretend that nothing's wrong.

Blown away. "The Rider" is cinema at its purest. An unfiltered lens absorbing a real story, from real people, in absolutely beautiful fashion. It is truly special that we get to watch some of the intimate moments that Chloé Zhao was able to capture. It feels unrivalled, it feels like it could not have been done by anyone but the people involved, and it should be considered a crowning achievement.

Great reflection to the passion of a man and very good examining of a struggling man who tries to find back his previous position in the society. Documantery like shooting makes the atmosphere very sincere and tense. Also, the performance by Brady is pretty good considering he has no acting experience.

Thoughtful and authentic and beautifully shot. Somewhat slow, but mostly in a measured, deliberate manner.

There is a lot of love and compassion as well as determinism expressed in this film, visually if not verbally. Its about identity including masculinity and it captures exhilaration quite well, I felt, with a good use of music - a moody instrumental piece played at the end. I very much enjoyed this film and so I would definitely recommend it.

Not gonna lie. Wept like a little baby at this. The use of closeups give it a very personal feeling and mixed with these beautiful panoramic outdoor shots this movie is like cinematic crack to me. This also never feels like it's trying to exploit its characters or characters situations in life (class, race, etc) in way I think some directors working in this style tend to do accidentally (Dardenne bros for example)

Moments of searing beauty and quiet heartbreak creep in tenderly, unsuspectingly, devastatingly.

A close and authentic look at a group of people that I have never seen portrayed on screen. By casting non-professional actors to play themselves, the filmmaker basically creates a hybrid between documentary and drama.

THE RIDER is equal parts tough and tender, a heartrending story of struggle and sacrifice anchored by a natural performance from real-life cowboy Brady Jandreau. Chloe Zhao's direction is subtle and impeccable; she crafts a film where the wildcat spirit of the American West meets an intense compassion that is universally, undeniably human.

This movie was hard to stay interested in during the first half. It get better as it approaches the finish. The story of a poor young cowboy adjusting to life after a serious injury was not very exciting, but most of it felt realistic. I particularly liked how he handled the horses and this movie would have benefited from more of that kind of action. This movie has a heart but the pacing was hard to enjoy.

A patient and wonderful life that is sincere and easily recognized. Beautiful aesthetics that leave warm sentiments.

One or two details of based-on-a-true-story melodrama aside, Zhao and Jandreau create a beautifully contemplative story. "Whatever happened to grit your teeth and be a man?" The whole idea of the strong silent cowboy (or the fearless Sioux), of the Man who picks himself up and gets back on his horse, picked over by the light of an iPhone playing the highlights of a career over at 22.

How does one move on when all of one’s identity is tied up in the one thing that one can no longer do?

Low-key, closely observed drama feels genuine and authentic, but a lack of true incident or conflict makes it occasionally tough going and proves the adage that 'real life' makes for mediocre drama; given how closely many of the actors mirror their on-screen counterparts, it may have worked better to shoot as a documentary and be done with it. Jandreau does prove to be a compelling screen presence, and Zhao's camera-eye takes advantage of the wide expanses, in a very Malickian way.

Not quite enough development for my taste, most of the first half is redundant. I do appreciate how Zhao uses amateur actors, even if not all of them are as good as Brady Jandreau is for the most part, and how she tries to convey an authentic setting - even if, like in Nomadland, there is a ridiculous number of shots around sunset in this one as well.

Such a sad and beatiful movie. It's some about toxic masculinity, some about animals and people, some about sticking to your dreams and also about remaining true to your friends and family. Beautiful movie about passion, family and life.

If he weren't a real person he probably would have shot himself and that's one reason why this film's as beautiful as it is.

Libra

The best parts are when Brady interacts with his sister and his disabled friend Lane. They felt warm and authentic, sometimes sad. Zhao puts in completely solid work here on the directorial front, the cinematography and music/sound design are definitely stand-outs. But as Pratchett3 said, the untrained actors delivered lines poorly... too often to be able to brush off. Brady was decent in a first performance but there were a lot of times his inexperience showed, which crippled scenes.

nomadland'in çok önünde..

very mixed on this one. the cinematography is amazing, really gives you a sense of the land and region, and the untrained actors give it a real sense of authenticity. unfortunately those same untrained actors can't act at all, the lines were all delivered painfully flat and devoid of all emotion. the exchange between him and his father toward the end was particularly painful. it nearly ruined the movie for me. honestly they should've just made a documentary.

Wtf didn't go into this thinking it would make me bawl my eyes out. Beautifully tender filmmaking. Reminded me at times of The Lusty Men and conceptually of Close-Up.

atlara üzülmek varken , atlara binenlere üzülecek vaktim yok

Zhao's documentary-narrative hybrid approach is extremely compelling. She's a master at working with non-actors and bringing out reality in place of performance. There is a moment or two where Jandreau's lack of acting experience holds a scene back, but he and the rest of the non-actors are extraordinarily well utilized for the most part. It's a good story with strong thematic work at play and excellent cinematography.

To ride or not to ride? A bit dragged in the first half, but the last 30 minutes are really powerful. Why does an animal has to be taken down while a human being needs to keep going? One last ride -- a suicide, actually -- or a goodbye to now take care of his family? Sensitive, well-shot and filled with beautiful animal-man moments.

That mythos that is cowboy is explored in this very personal narrative. It's a well-crafted film with a focused style. The acting makes the drama feel very genuine, delivering an emotional punch at the end.

Okay, Chloe Zhao. I see you and your cinematography. Terrence Malick vibes for sure. However, all the actors are amateur and it shows and it hurts the film. And if this is a character study, its one of the worse ones I've seen. In the sense that this could have been a really cool 30 minute short film or maybe a documentary. Instead, at times, this feels like a drawn out Levi's commercial.

Very touching and raw

felt like somewhere in this is a really great Minding the Gap-type documentary, with the scenes of horse training and in the physical rehab center being the most powerful stuff. not as high on all the other performances. but some beautiful things happening here.

Rodeocu Brady'nin hikayesi. Kafasında dikişle tanınan Brady, hem sevdiği rodeo tutkusu, hemde ailesine bakmak zorundadır. Çok ağır 1 tempoda ilerliyor. Konu nereye bağlayacak diye bekliyoruz. Yoksa yarıda bırakılacak filmlerden. Filmin sonunda, hayallerinden vazgeçme diyor. Atlara Fısıldayan yalnız bir kovboyum. Güneşin doğuşu batışı farksız. Nasıl yaşarımsa yaşarım.

(LANE ON PETE)

Not much going on. Basically hammering the same trite themes over and over again.

so Admirable as the second Work!!!

Chloe Zhao i love you so much.

Marvelous images, created by fantastic casting choices meet a sometimes underwhelming narrative. Yet, those moments! Zhao is a magician. She can portray things with the spirit of a documentarian and still, her images elicit a sense of enchantment and spirituality that is truly, truly wonderous.

I'm bored as hell and can't take it anymore. Longest 100 min ever. Not a bad movie, but I can hardly care about this poor lot more than about some LoTR roleplayers. Cool wilderness shots though. P.S. US has healthcare now? Huh.

Zhao has a talent in photographing faces in the desolate and beatiful landscapes. People and their background. The story should have tried to deconstruct the cowboy romanticism, but the amateur actors (Brady Jandreau and his family playing a version of themselves) deliver horribly written dialogue that cripples scenes. The actors inexperience shows and the movie becomes a film of two halves : horrible amateur acting and the beatiful yet brutal landscapes.

A heartfelt and disciplined film that straddles the line between fact and fiction, The Rider exhibits the kind of patience necessary to really begin to sit with and know its characters. Director Chloe Zhao does a beautiful job with her camera, brining us in close to her characters a la the Dardennes, but never forgetting to situate them in the magnificent plains landscape.

Horse rider gets a serious head injury and has to think about life. Not the most exciting of stories, but definitely very real. Respect.

Once you realize that time-travelling Beau Bridges hasn't forgotten how to act and no that's the guy's real dad the casting conceit becomes obvious and well okay that's very sweet but a lot of it feels hokey and mechanical as a result, fire with the friends especially, like a cloying exercise. Cribs openly from ZOO but throughout there's nothing approaching Devor's sense of texture or rhythm and no I don't mean duder shoulda fucked the horse well I mean not necessARILY....

Captivating and touching.

An absolutely heart-breaking look at what illness/injury can do to a dream. Brady Jandreau gives a quiet and honest performance that mirrors his own life. Everything is subtle but so very effective in showing both physical and mental anguish from losing your way.