Lean on Pete

When I first heard about British director Andrew Haigh's ("45 Years") Lean on Pete, it sounded like a warm, cuddly drama about horses, perhaps an updated version of "The Black Stallion." The film, however, as I quickly discovered, is not about horse racing or even about horses. It is an odyssey of a 16-year-old boy (Charlie Plummer, "All the Money in the World") who becomes attached to a doomed horse and undertakes a desperate quest for support in a world that has suddenly left him alone, attempting to make sense of an America that has lost its moorings. Charley is, in poet John Banville's words, "all inwardness, gazing out in ever intensifying perplexity upon a world in which nothing is exactly plausible, nothing is exactly what it is," a boy without a past or a foreseeable future.

Based on a novel by Willy Vlautin and set in the Pacific Northwest, Charley lives with his single and much traveled dad (Travis Fimmel, "Maggie's Plan") who has come to Portland to work as a forklift driver. Unlike the quiet, polite Charley, Ray is blustery and macho, but there is no doubt about his love for his son, although he often leaves him alone. Abandoned by his mother as an infant, Charley's only other family is Aunt Margy (Alison Elliott, "20th Century Women") with whom he lost contact many years ago after she had a conflict with Ray over Charlie's upbringing.

Out jogging to acquaint himself with the neighborhood, the boy discovers a seedy looking racetrack and strikes up a friendship with a cynical, small-time horse owner who is not averse to cutting ethical corners to make a living. Earning a few dollars by assisting Del (Steve Buscemi, "The Death of Stalin"), and jockey Bonnie (Chloë Sevigny, "Beatriz at Dinner") doing odd jobs around the track, Charley forms a bond with one of Del's disposable horses, a five-year-old quarter horse named Lean on Pete whose normal position in a horse race is dead last.

The worldly-wise Bonnie tells him, however, not to get attached to any horse saying that they are not pets, a truth that Charley realizes when he observes horses at the end of their racing days being shipped to Mexico to discover what a slaughterhouse looks like. Charley's world turns dark when his dad is severely beaten by the husband of one of his girlfriends and he is forced to earn enough money to keep up the household. As Ray's condition worsens, and Lean on Pete is slated to be sent to Mexico, Charley steals the horse in Del's truck in the middle of the night and takes to the road, seeking to find his way to Wyoming to look for Aunt Margy, without knowing anything about her whereabouts.

After Del's ancient truck breaks down, cinematographer Magnus Nordenhof Jønck ("A War") keeps us close to the sagebrush and flatlands of Eastern Oregon as the boy and his horse (to whom he confides his innermost thoughts) travel together on foot, coming into contact with both the hard working underclass of American society and the dregs who prey on the innocent and trusting.

As Charley moves from town to town, half-starving and disheveled, a child grasping onto any means to stay alive, he is forced into taking revenge on Silver (Steve Zahn, "Captain Fantastic"), a homeless man who steals his money in a drunken rage, but it is only one in a series of incidents that test his mettle and define who he is. A feeling of sadness pervades Lean on Pete, yet, like life, it is always filled with the possibility of renewal.

Charley's struggle to fit in a world that no longer welcomes him mirrors our own longing to connect, to find someone to care about and care for, to discover, as poet Carl Sandburg put it, "a voice to speak to us in the day end, a hand to touch us in the dark room, breaking the long loneliness." It is Charlie Plummer's beautiful and subtle performance that carries the film and grants us access to our own innermost experience of what it means to feel isolated in a world that we can no longer call our home.

I would say that this is the most surprising film from Andrew Haigh, simply because it's about subject matter that I did not think he would be all that interested in. Overall, all that doesn't matter because he still creates a very well-rounded story with some fantastic performances at its core. It's simply but beautifully shot, carefully paced, and gently directed. It's a great film, although maybe not to the level of Weekend and 45 Years.

This drama from Andrew Haigh about an adolescent boy caring for a quarter horse may be paced slowly, but its unique sense of melancholy slowly creeps up on the viewer. The film uses a mix of thoughtful but down-to-earth dialogue and stunning shots of the American West to immerse the viewer in its world. These two elements manage to coexist quite well in the film. I was impressed by the quality of the acting in the film, as Haigh wisely directs his cast to choose a deep-seated and authentic sense of realism over sentimental value in their performances. The film moves at a leisurely but commendable and never tedious pace. Its tone is often quite dark at times and its themes can be quite heavy, but patient viewers who stay with the film will be rewarded. It is important to understand that thankfully, such tone and themes never feel sentimental or sappy, which is all to the film's genuine benefit. The film's depiction of poorer and rural Americans in the West provides for thoughtful and compassionate social commentary in a manner similar to something like J.D. Vance's stunning memoir "Hillbilly Elegy." Haigh should be praised for ensuring that such depiction is never portrayed in a trivialized manner.

My main criticism of the film--and the key element that keeps it from greatness--is that the film often plays it too safe in its narrative and stylistic choices. While the movie never feels predictable and often feels gritty, a mild philosophical change in how the film could have been constructed could have made some scenes feel somewhat less derivative. That said, this is a well-made and well-acted drama. Recommended to those interested. 7/10

Greetings again from the darkness. Andrew Haigh's follow-up to his gut-wrenching 45 YEARS (2015) is "a boy and a horse" movie that is every bit as emotionally draining, and secures his spot as one of the best filmmakers at bringing characters we thoroughly believe to the screen. It's based on the novel by Willy Vlautin and could be described as coming-of-age, slice-of-life, or even a road movie. While it's each of these, it is also much more ... though I fear it is one of this year's indie gems that will likely slide between the cracks with far too few taking the time to experience it.

Charlie Plummer was most recently seen in ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD as Getty's kidnapped grandson. Here he stars as Charley, a 15 year old boy living a half-step from poverty with his caring, but unprepared single dad (Travis Fimmel). Charley goes for morning runs around town, and his polite mannerisms include effusive praising and expressing gratitude to his dad's mistress (Amy Seimitz) for cooking a full breakfast - a rare treat for this growing teenager. Charley stumbles into part time work with has-been horse trainer Del (Steve Buscemi), a man whose career, health and demeanor have all seen better days. Horse trainer in this context is far removed from the glamour of the Kentucky Derby. Del works his horses hard for meager winnings on the county fair circuit, and when their time is up, the horses are shipped to Mexico for 'processing'.

Charley and Del form a bond based on Del's cheapness and Charley's work ethic and love of the horses. When tragedy strikes, the movie shifts to a road trip vibe, with Bonnie (Chloe Sevigny) joining on as a jockey. The three are a quasi-family but mostly they are each just trying to get along in a life that isn't always kind. When Charley ignores Bonnie's advice to not get too attached to the horses, he and the titular Pete are soon trudging across the backcountry.

Charley's life on the streets provides many life lessons, but not much joy. He crosses paths with an initially friendly addict named Silver (Steve Zahn), and along the trip, his childhood memories provide some hope - especially as related to Aunt Margy (Alison Elliott). These all feel like real folks that we could meet at any time. Some are helpful, yet the biggest life lesson of all comes roaring through these mostly quiet scenes - people care most about themselves.

This most certainly isn't a Disney-style horse movie like DREAMER, and in fact, it's much less a horse story than it is Charley's story. The core message seems to be that no matter how gentle one's soul, human nature adapts in times of desperation. It's pure cinematic pleasure to have both Mr. Buscemi and Ms. Sevigny in the same film, but the shining light here is Charlie Plummer. With little dialogue, he conveys so much about what he is thinking and feeling. His desire is to have some stability - someone or something that he can depend on. It's the security many of us take for granted. Cinematographer Magnus Nordenhof Jonck (A WAR, 2015) beautifully captures the endless Pacific Northwest landscapes, while also managing the intimate and thoughtful moments. Mr. Haigh's two most recent films add him to my must-see list ... I just wish there were more who would find pleasure in his displays of lack of joy.

This is a film all about isolation and companionship. It is relatively slow in terms of plot pace but I thought it was quite contemplative, a good character based film and so I wasn't entirely bothered by the slowish plot pace. You could almost argue that its like a form of mindfulness in a film, with Charley being fairly quiet and thoughtful. We learn a fair bit about other people who work on the farmland and with the horses.

The sense of wilderness is quite sobering. Also the lack of dialogue at times made it seem quite poignant to me. Overall its an interesting, observation/character based drama which I enjoyed quite a lot.

Would I recommend it? Yes, I'd happily recommend this film, as long as you know its not fast paced or action packed. For what it is, its a very good film.