“Dream Horse” is exactly what you expect from a movie called “Dream Horse.” It’s light, sweetly frisky, and warmly inspiring, with a lead performance from Toni Colette keeping things on track.
Colette plays Jan Vokes, who works in a supermarket by day and a pub by night. While her husband (Owen Teale) dozes off 24/7—he was laid off when the mines closed—he is invested enough in their marriage to go along with whatever Jan says. After she overhears a tax advisor (Damian Lewis) discussing his racehorse, she convinces her husband to buy a thoroughbred mare, Rewbell, and then convinces the village idiot, the village banker, the village butcher, the village academic (there’s only one) and the village drunk (there’s a lot of those) to join her syndicate for ten pounds a week, with the intention of breeding a champion mustang. So they pull together just enough money to buy a community mare.
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Director Euros Lyn captures the rhythms of life in their tiny Welsh community, falling into the category of films like “Fisherman’s Friends” and “The Full Monty,” underdog stories set in the United Kingdom. The story is less about one individual and more about an entire community coming together over a single cause, in this case, a racehorse that has a 1% chance of winning. In his first race, the group names him “Dream Alliance,” because he’s literally a dream-come-true, as well as an alliance between a group of people who don’t usually get along. Before you know it, he’s the Nikola Jokic of racehorses: one of the last picks in the draft, a work in progress, a little slow, but with a skill set that suggests a future MVP. His ability to pass is what really sets him apart, even if he isn’t super athletic.
“Dream Horse” is a middle-of-the-pack drama. It’s not exactly a front-runner, but then again, horse movies and coming-of-age stories rarely are. Colette strains for your tears, rather than milks them. But her performance is entirely sweet and sympathetic. She plays Jan as shy, serious, and more than a little competitive. There’s something special about this woman, her sympathy, her vulnerability, her courage to stand up for those who have been counted out, whether horse or human. It’s a treat to watch her help others, giving her friends a chance to take life by the reins while they still can.
The film—and Colette—hit a stride and find a sense of rhythm, making for an affecting portrayal of a middle-aged woman finding her footing against all odds, and bringing her community back together after a decade of rough patches. “Dream Horse” is infused with a love for these people, but it’s also in love with genre tropes, so you can bet on there being a few eye-rolling, haven’t I seen this before? moments. Do we really need so many montages? Nope. Does the announcer strictly call out Alliance’s name at the races? Yep. Does the final race end with a parade and a freeze-frame? Of course, it does. What else do you expect from a movie called “Dream Horse?” [C+]
“Dream Horse” is in theaters now.