'Jockey' Review: Down The Stretch Comes Clifton Collins Jr. In His Best Performance Yet As An Aging Rider Struggling To Hold On To A Career

Arlington TX

06 February, 2022

6:16 PM

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By Joe Friar, Fort Worth Report February 6, 2022 For thirty years Clifton Collins Jr. has given us a plethora of memorable performances in both indie and mainstream films. Everything from a real-life killer ("Capote") to a gay hitman ("Traffic"), a Mexican Little League coach ("The Perfect Game"), a border patrol agent ("Transpecos"), and a Romulan in "Star Trek." His extensive television work earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination for the FX miniseries "Thief" and most recently he was featured as El Lazo in HBO's "Westworld." At 51, Collins claims the spotlight in a role deserving of his merits. He plays Jackson Silva, a broken-down horse jockey who refuses to be put out to pasture in Clint Bentley's poetic and surreal drama "Jockey." Beautifully shot by cinematographer Adolpho Veloso who can make a sunset in Arizona resemble paradise, the film features an excellent supporting cast that includes Molly Parker as Ruth, a horse trainer who's developed a close friendship with Jackson after years of working together and Moises Arias as a young rider named Gabriel who shows up one day claiming to be Jackson's son. "Look, I know I'm not the same shape as these young cats, but I still got a good couple of years left in me" explains Jackson to Ruth after she begs him to let her know what's going on. The two have worked together for so long that they resemble a married couple, but their relationship is purely platonic. Lately, Ruth has noticed Jackson seems tense and fidgety. Also, he leans to the side when in the saddle and word came back that Jackson tripped while coming out of a stall. She's worried that he's sick but Jackson plays it off as just "wear and tear." Still, her fears are warranted especially when you factor in Jackson's age and medical history which includes three broken backs. Bentley likes to zoom in for closeups. The camera is never too far from Collins and Parker. And why should it be? Both actors have expressive faces. Sometimes just a glance or a stare is all that's needed to convey their feelings in a scene. The technique also leads to one of the film's unforgettable moments. Bentley fills the frame with a side shot of Collins's face during a race. His head bops up and down in unison with the horse's movement while a barrage of mud and dirt bounces off his face. It's a tense scene that signifies a defining moment in Jackson's life. To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.