Dream Horse (2021)

By: Mike Ward on Friday, May 21

PG Running Time: 113 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

  • If you argue that we should go to movies to be entertained, well Dream Horse has just arrived and this is definitely something that will entertain you.

  • A terrific, quirky ensemble is led by Toni Collette, an actress who does not get enough credit for how she can seemingly play any kind of role exceedingly well.

  • Those who have watched the 2015 documentary on the “Dream Alliance” story will be interested to see how this “inspired by true events” re-telling plays out.

NO

  • The film is rather predictable, in the way that so many underdog sports story are.

  • Since the film is a dramatic comedy, with a healthy amount of melancholy thrown over the proceedings, there may not be enough comedy for some viewers who may find this more downtrodden and less uplifting.

  • Some characters admittedly feel like caricatures, leading others to express a perceived lack of genuineness in the overall look and feel of the film.


OUR REVIEW

Crowd-pleasing movies seem a dime a dozen as of late, and so pardon a smile of relief and perhaps a touch of overenthusiastic praise for Dream Horse, a film inspired by true events. First documented in the 2015 award-winning documentary Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance, the film tells the story of a Welsh community, pooling resources to purchase a racehorse.

Directed by Euros Lyn, a veteran director of Welsh and British television, Dream Horse lives in the dreary rain-stained landscapes of farmland and countryside. We settle into a small mining town, where Jan (Toni Collette) balances a morning job at a local grocery and an evening job as a bartender. Nearby, she takes care of her elderly parents and tends to a makeshift farm (chickens live in a box in the kitchen!) while her husband Brian (nicknamed ‘Daisy’) (Owen Teale) largely sits in front of the television battling depression and some painful arthritis.

We sense that the mundane tedium of life is starting to weigh on Jan and she needs a spark. Embers start to smolder when she learns of the idea of a “syndicate,” an investment opportunity where people jointly invest in racehorses. Having won awards in her youth for showing pigeons and raising livestock, Jan sees this as an exciting venture. Daisy is not so sure.

That a documentary and now a feature film have been made about this story might foretell that Jan does not wander into this endeavor alone or with much failure. Lyn, working with a script from veteran television writer Neil McKay, has created an amiable and inviting film. We get to spend time with a cast of characters who all get proverbial quirks and unique traits. All of them however are united in the novelty of being involved in a syndicate. At the outset, enthusiasm and excitement mask differences of opinions which begin to emerge within the community of friends and colleagues who are tied to a thoroughbred they named “Dream Alliance.”

Movies like Dream Horse offer relatively few surprises and ride on the wave of connection and emotion. Luckily, the film’s lighter tone and some captivating race sequences (enhanced by a camera mounted to the side of the horse) keep us engaged. McKay may rely on the tropes and predictability of events a little too much, but the syndicate are all pitched as underdogs, Frequent scenes remind us of the challenges of having a difference of opinion in achieving a common goal, the strain of having a lack of financial resources, the spouse concerned about gambling habits, and other broad-stroke situational mini-dramas that provide context and meaning to the main characters.

Collette is really good here, reminding us just how relatable and varied an actor she can be. She grounds the story into something we can envision for ourselves and her embodiment of Jan’s dedication and steadfast resolve make her someone we instantly want to see succeed.

The film could trim a bit, as some of the underdog storylines and personal conflicts return a few too many times. And oddly, not one syndicate member acknowledges any of the jockeys who ride Dream Alliance across several of those finish lines. As someone mentioned to me, Dream Horse felt to them like a nicely-budgeted made-for-TV movie. I mean…I might not completely disagree with that take.

Though even if Dream Horse may stumble around the track here and there, you should be worried if you cannot find something to find enjoyable here. From the smartly curated soundtrack of music from contemporary Welsh musicians and the inquisitive roaming camera from cinematographer Erik Alexander Wilson, the film asks us to do little more than let this underdog story wash over us and draw out a smile.

Dream Horse had me smiling frequently, with Lyn’s community-based horse racing film beating a big heart and aiming to please a wide viewing audience. In a time when movies seem to be avoiding congeniality and inspirational stories, Dream Horse offers some laughs, a dose or two of tangible anxiety, and a wonderful cast of characters who prove delightful and entertaining. A movie like this is just good for the soul.  

CAST & CREW

Starring: Toni Collette, Damian Lewis, Owen Teale, Joanna Page, Nicholas Farrell, Siân Phillips, Karl Johnson, Peter Davison, Steffan Rhodri, Anthony O’Donnell, Darren Evans, Alex Jordan, Max Hutchinson, Asheq Akhtar, Lynda Baron

Director: Euros Lyn
Written by: Neil McKay
Release Date: May 21, 2021
Bleecker Street Media