ReelBob: ‘The Rider’ ★★★★½

By Bob Bloom

“The Rider” is a poetic and melancholy exploration of a young man standing at a crossroads in his life, in which he must contemplate giving up what he loves to do and that which defines him.

Writer-director Chloe Zhao’s character study follows former rodeo star Brady Blackburn, played by real-life rodeo star Brady Jandreau, in the aftermath of a traumatic head injury that basically ends his bronco-riding career.

The film is a dramatized account of Jandreau’s life, as Brady struggles to maintain his cowboy credo, while finding a new purpose and redefining himself.

Zhao has cast Jandreau’s family and friends, which gives the movie a heightened sense of truth and honesty.

These people are not trained actors — and it shows. Ironically, that is one of the movie’s strength. It’s as if you were eavesdropping, rather than watching professional performers. It gives the film an intimate context that draws you in.

Zhao tells the story at a leisurely pace, as if you were gently riding a mount across the plains, simply to feel the wind on your face and take in the landscape.

A spirit of brotherhood covers the movie like a warm blanket. The fraternity of rodeo performers speak a language that is reminiscent of a John Wayne-Gary Cooper quiet machismo, in which a word or a nod says volumes.

“The Rider” has heart, especially in sequences when Brady interacts with his friend, Lane Scott, who suffered severe injuries in a mishap that left him paralyzed and unable to speak.

Lane spells out words with his hands to communicate with Brady. Their bond is brotherly and heartwarming.

Brady’s interactions with horses that he is training or riding also is a centerpiece of the movie. The relationship between Brady and the various animals is fascinating. He has a gentle way with them, treating them kindly, talking softly to them and putting them at ease.

The film’s major undercurrent is Brady’s aimlessness. Throughout most of “The Rider,” he is in denial about his chances of competing again.

Even while working at a grocery store to help his father and sister with their money issues, he tells friends that the job is merely temporary, that he will be back in the saddle again — and soon.

Deep in his heart, though, Brady knows his days on the circuit are over.

Admitting that to himself and resigning himself to that reality is the crux of “The Rider.”

The movie, set on a South Dakota Indian reservation, where several of the rodeo performers live, is stark and striking. At many junctures, the movie appears bleak and gray, but beneath it all is a quiet nobility and appreciation of a culture that is unfamiliar to the majority of us.

“The Rider” is a sensitive feature that should be seen and appreciated. It is an original vision about a small segment of America that — at times — almost feels like another nation, and one worth visiting.

I am a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.

THE RIDER 4½ stars out of 5 (R), language, drug use

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi8F38_Jv_c