KILL THE JOCKEY
(The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival runs September 5-15 and HtN has you covered once again. Check out Chris Reed’s Kill the Jockey movie review. Seen it? Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.)
Remo Manfredini (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, BPM) is a celebrated jockey, a worthy investment of time and money on which a savvy entrepreneur can count for a win. Or at least he has been until recently. Now, his penchant for drugs and alcohol have taken their toll, threatening the fortunes of his primary sponsor, businessman-cum-gangster Ruben Sirena (Daniel Giménez Cacho, Zama). Two things seem to still be going for him: the good will generated by past triumphs and the love of his romantic and work partner, Abril (Úrsula Corberó, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins), who is also a jockey. If only he weren’t hellbent on a path of self-destruction, the future might actually look somewhat bright.
Instead, Remo stumbles unevenly forward, falling off a horse, running another into a fence, and rejecting the domestic bliss offered by the amorous Abril, who just happens to be pregnant. Soon, Sirena (as most call him) sends his goons to track him down, bringing the titular imperative to vivid life. The cinematic table is laid for a man-on-the-run thriller set in the racetrack underworld.
Except that’s not exactly what Argentinian director Luis Ortega (El Angel) has in mind. Though his plot setup leans heavily into gangster archetypes, he’s far more interested in crafting an oddball universe in which there is no emotion too big to be delivered in deadpan tones. Making up for this purposeful disconnect between feeling and enunciation, Ortega bathes the screen in production-design delights, of both decor and costume, though usually of a darker hue.
The result is like the love child of Finnish and Chilean auteurs Aki Kaurismäki and Alejandro Jodorowsky, with the impassive speech patterns of one and gender-defying ostentatiousness of the other, all of it dressed in the idiosyncratic storytelling choices of both. Accept the unexpected and good things will follow, including a final dash to the finish line. Resist, and you just might lose the race.
It’s not for naught, for the mise-en-scène most definitely supports the narrative. Remo, it turns out, is uneasy in his own skin. As, it appears, are many of the characters. Their sexuality appears at least partially fluid, and gender identity is but a construct. Especially for Remo, who just might be Dolores. No wonder they need a drink (and a pill or two).
The journey’s the thing, but so is the destination. Every signpost and milestone reveal something new and intriguing, from an early wild dance scene to a horse race against increasingly excessive opponents. Who is who may not always be entirely clear—even to the people on screen—but one thing is evident: Kill the Jockey is a glorious ride, through and through.
– Christopher Llewellyn Reed (@ChrisReedFilm)
Toronto International Film Festival; Kill the Jockey; Luis Ortega
Post a Comment
