The Rider

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Synopsis

Brady is a young cowboy with a remarkable gift for riding rodeo, until a near fatal head injury forces him to reassess his lifestyle and identity. Checking himself out of hospital earlier than advised, Brady stubbornly insists on getting back in the saddle as quickly as possible, as being a cowboy is all he knows and there may be few other prospects for him. When reality begins to hit home and he is advised by doctors that such a move would be utterly foolish, he becomes increasingly withdrawn and sullen from those around him. Using a real family of non-professional actors, and constructed around their own experiences, this is a beautiful and moving film, handling its themes of modern masculinity and repressed emotions with acute sensitivity, complemented by stunning imagery.