Comfortably My Festival Favorite (some spoilers ahead)
Remember when you walked out of Saltburn thinking that Jacob Elordi was the most charismatic thing since Elvis and the story was utterly mesmerizing? Well he has once again picked a magnificent and multilayered film to which he has lent his talents. A film that will stay with you long after the final credits roll. Allow me to explain why I feel so strongly in this review… and despite its current average score of 69% on rotten tomatoes:
On Swift Horses, releasing April 25 (limited theatrical release), is a beautifully crafted and artistically told romantic drama capturing with expert accuracy, a time in American history when homosexuality was still utterly taboo and therefore, hidden from the minds of naive or oblivious husbands/wives and law enforcement absolutely outlawed. This mature film masterfully captures a time when neither cellphones nor even pagers had yet been invented. Consequently, locating someone meant posting a note on a public wall in common spaces hoping they’d see it, physically searching place to place, or even resorting to helplessly sitting at a hotel bar you think they might show up at miraculously ….or else fear never seeing them again… ever…
Director Daniel Minahan places audiences in a post-war era mid 1950s America with gorgeous effect. We watch this spectacular ensemble cast try to grapple with the struggles of those times, trying to survive in a world fraught with risks as they quest to live their respective sexual truths unencumbered, and in spite of their current heterosexual commitments.
Bryce Kass has also done a breathtaking job here adapting the novel of the same name, written by Shannon Pufahl which was published fairly recently in 2019.
An example of Kass’ fantastic adaptation skills occurs at a specific point in the 3rd act with potently impactful dramatic irony, whereby (without giving too much away) the audience knows the 2 characters are both separately searching for the 3rd character, but are unaware of each other’s existence. When revealed, this takes the film to yet another level, intelligence-wise. It was absolutely brilliant and the entire audience collectively gasped at the SXSW premiere I attended… with cast and crew present.
Sadly for the ladies (and some men) in the audience, there was no sign of Mr Elordi at the premiere and there was a definite sigh amongst the ladies I was sitting with upon this realization. The man is objectively excellent in this role and it’s clear that the film’s producers, director and casting director together selected Elordi intentionally to be exceedingly better looking than his brother, played by Will Poulter (whom has come a LONG way since his comedy We’re the Millers, I might add). The camera shots of Poulter are wides and fulls, but many of Elordi’s shots are close-ups that seem to caress his face and draw audiences in to his undeniable good looks. The shot at the beginning, for example, when we meet Elordi sitting on the hood of a car suntanning. The camera zooms in on his face… his dark eyebrows sitting perfectly upon his brown eyes. His brother is given no such delicate graces by Director Minahan. We are guided to become fond of Elordi’s character like this all the way through, and while he seduces multiple characters he interacts with.
Of the 10 films I watched at this year’s epic SXSW film fest, On Swift Horses was my clear favorite for its tempered, poetic and masterful storytelling. A must watch for all adults, whether you like Elordi or are yet to become a fan. The film offers superb performances across the board, but more than that, its emotion and sensitivity are supercharged and viewers will find it impossible not to hold a special place in their hearts for On Swift Horses.
Review written by Jordi Levinrad