Nice and tasteful and BORING!

Rating: 1/10 (10 August 2004)

I feel a little guilty for not liking this movie more because it's so obviously "nice" and "uplifting." However, for something to be ultimately uplifting it must have some real sense of sorrow. In this I felt sorry for characters and events but the movie demanded no emotional investment whatsoever. It has a good period look and feeling but a very superficial gloss that prevents any immediacy of experience. The races look way too fake, especially the conversations between riders. Randy Newman's wafty weepy score just adds to the corn syrupy goo. The performances by this talented cast are absolutely static. The best performances come from the horses, but even they sometimes seem unnatural and plastic.