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A contemporary Western played by non-professional actors and based closely on their real lives, The Rider is both heartfelt and riddled with clich\xe9. Brady is one of a group of young men in the American Midwest who ride bucking horses and bulls, risking severe injury and death, in what can be seen at once as both a vital act of keeping tradition alive and a tacit admission that the opportunities offered by America are dwindling and serve to keep people in their place. Mike also describes it as "a stupid sport".\n\nJos\xe9 sees a kinship with American Animals in its portrayal of young American men with no sex lives or apparent interest in sex lives; Mike believes it's a film that will flatter those who like to pride themselves on seeing "quality" cinema. There are scenes of beauty, including those with a former rider profoundly injured and restricted to life in an assisted living facility - Brady's love for his friend, expressed throughout the film, is touching. And the horse wrangling is simply spectacular and worth it for its own sake.\n\nA film with deep flaws, an indulgence in clich\xe9, visual unoriginality, and too rosy a view on its subject matter, but nonetheless with flashes of beauty.\n\nRecorded on 17th September 2018.