ON SWIFT HORSES
(The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival runs September 5-15 and HtN has you covered once again. Check out M.J. O’Toole’s On Swift Horses movie review. Seen it? Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.)
Director Daniel Minahan observes the lives of those betting on love and the “American Dream” in his romantic drama On Swift Horses. Achingly romantic with layered performances from its young and beautiful ensemble, this adaptation of Shannon Pufahl’s novel (its screenplay written by Bryce Kass) follows two opposite, yet interconnected people gambling for a better future in 1950s rural America – all while experiencing their own sexual awakenings that were mostly suppressed in that conservative period. Though most of the time they are playing with fire, they both exude distinctive charm and humanity that makes their shortcomings hard to look down on. Minahan knows that Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Julius (Jacob Elordi) are the stars of the film and introduce them as such. First we see Julius shuffling a deck of cards hitchhiking while Muriel shares an intimate moment with her husband Lee (Will Poulter). These two intercut moments not only highlight the drama’s two main themes but also set a precedent for the journey of these two who share an unspoken connection.
The second Korean War vet Julius shows up at the Kansas home of his brother Lee and sister-in-law Muriel. Here is the starting point of a balance being upset. The two brothers had originally planned to use their military pensions to start a new life in sunny Southern California. But Julius, the troublemaking drifter that he is, is more acclimated to the highs of life on the road – making a quick buck and a brief rendezvous with a lover – unlike his more domesticated brother. The mood remains light and fun enough for them to be one big happy family, even if it’s short-lived. From their first introduction, Muriel and Julius get along pretty well, with the latter teaching the former how to play poker. “A gambler has only one obligation: to keep himself informed,” Julius advises Muriel. As the trio part ways on their journeys, Julius’ zest for life and unwillingness to conform will soon rub off on Muriel in ways that fuel her own journey of personal freedom that seems mostly unattainable in that period.
While Muriel and Julius move forward with their California plans, Julius figures out his own life as he hits the road to Vegas. However, he and Muriel still write to one another (without Lee’s knowledge), harboring deeper feelings for one another, mixed with complicated love for Lee. While in Vegas, Julius finds work as a casino spy where he befriends co-worker Henry (Babylon breakout Diego Calva) and the two soon begin a cautious, yet passionate love affair. What starts as rough-and-tumble turns to tender as Julius begins to feel more accepting of his sexuality. Muriel on the other hand, now living in San Diego with Lee, copes with her sense of alienation by betting on horses at the local track where she wins big money. When she’s not betting and scoping out the local gay bar in her spare time, she forms a bond that turns to attraction with next-door Latinx neighbor Sandra (Sasha Calle), whose confidence and self-acceptance seem radically out for her time. With Henry, Julius finds a man with the same ambitions and dreams in life (if not somewhat more radical), who also makes space for vulnerability. With Muriel and Sandra however, it’s harder to tell if the feelings between them are genuine.
Much like their shared vice of gambling, Muriel and Julius are also making risky gambles with their respective love affairs. Even when she comes home to Lee every night, he has no idea of half the things she gets up to. But it’s hard to root against Lee, who Poulter plays with enough sensitivity that gives his performance a vast amount of soul. Even though his aspirations differ from those of his wife and brother, he’s a good guy who genuinely, unconditionally loves them and is not one to force anyone to conform to his ways. As he tells Julius sternly but lovingly at one point, “I’m not asking you to change. I just want you to be safe.” It’s heartbreaking how Muriel and Julius let Lee down behind his back, even though he probably knows them better than anyone. Similar to Carol and Brokeback Mountain, On Swift Horses recalls the desire to break conservative societal boundaries to live more honestly, and no one embarks on the road to happiness unscathed here.
There’s a lot of attention to detail that the production put into recreating rural 1950s America, and credit must be given to production designer Erin Magill for her versatility in reviving the glowing Las Vegas casinos, chic gay bars, and high-class racetracks. Cinematographer Luc Montpellier (Women Talking) beautifully captures the vast landscapes of the American West, and the bodies that embrace one another in the truly intimate love scenes. The beauty of the locations and the people in them pulls the viewer into a state of awe. Both Edgar-Jones and Elordi give truly heartfelt performances full of quiet depth. Poulter, Calva, and Calle all have plenty to offer ahead in their careers, and this is merely a warm-up for them. Director Daniel Minahan brings a lot to the table here in his second feature, giving his actors enough space and vulnerability to conjure the invigorating chemistry that powers the movie. On Swift Horses is graceful and heartfelt, at times sentimental but never dull or repetitive. When the sun rises in the film’s gorgeous closing shot, it is a new day for our protagonists. Fate brings them together, pulls them apart, then puts them on a path to an open, unknowable future.
– M.J. O’Toole (@mj_otoole93)
2024 Toronto Film Festival; Mistress Dispeller; Elizabeth Lo
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