“True Blood”, “Game of Thrones”, “House of Cards”, “Deadwood-The Film”, “Grey's Anatomy”: Daniel Minahan was already involved in a surprising number of TV blockbusters. But there are also many gems in the director's serial vita. So he lived his penchant for stylish retro vibe in the 1940s settings of the mini series “Hollywood” and “one flew over the cuckoo nest” prequel “Rattched”.
For the Biopic series “Halston” (2021), he then moved to the 1970s, where Ewan McGregor, as a fashion-addicted fashion tsar, was only scratched on the surface, but the rest was visually very nice to look at. In “On Swift Horses“, Who celebrated its premiere in September 2024 at the Toronto International Film Festival, now concentrates on his strengths and presents picturesque pictures, authentic costumes and a strong cast – this time in particular in the special flair of the 1950s.
Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Lee (Will Poulter) are happy together. But due to Lee's brother's return to the war, her relationship is really mixed up.
Everything is actually perfect: Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Lee (Will Poulter) live in a house in the deepest Kansas. Muriel inherited the lovingly furnished home with floral wallpaper and old wooden furniture from her late mother. Muriel and Lee love each other, only seem to need themselves. But when Lee's brother Julius (Jacob Elordi) returned from the Korean War, Muriel is drawn to him.
The three are considering building up a new life with simple jobs in sunny San Diego. But Julius has other plans. It pulls him into the sinful Las Vegas. In their secret correspondence, Julius and Muriel ponder gambling and life. Happiness and misfortune are just a hair width in love and gambling. You can lose everything quickly – especially in times of social repression …
The spark doesn't jump over
Daisy Edgar-Jones (“Twisters”) convinces with their subtle facial expressions. Jacob Elordis magical charisma, like in “Saltburn”, can be felt here. And not only when he rests on the bonnet of a Plymouth Coupe with a bare torso and thus presented himself as a free spirit from the Korean war. War wounds can only be guessed at. Will Poulter (“Warfare”) as a loving husband gives his figure emotional depth through disarming, demanding game. With this line -up, director Daniel Minahan tries a cinema debut that is supposed to question the heteronormative American dream elegantly. Unfortunately, the story does not touch.
Bryce Kass' script is based on Shannon Pufahl's debut novel from 2019, which was inspired by her memories of her own grandma. The author introduced the grandmother to the world of gambling at a young age and taught her how to play poker and machines, among other things. The main character of the waiter Muriel, who overhears her customers, now has a similar penchant for risk to get tips for horse bets.
Muriel, her husband Lee and her brother -in -law Julius (Jacob Elordi) face the consequent heteronormative logic of the 1950s.
Minahan likes to relate to contrasts. While Muriel likes her small, secret betting adventures on the racetrack between the rich and beautiful silent, Julius explores the wild side of life and plunges into the spel -unk, nightly Las Vegas. Through abrupt transitions from one scene to the next, there is little time to develop a feeling for the characters. In addition, cameraman Luc Montpellier likes to rely on wide -angle shots in landscapes, which creates even more distance from the figures operating in them.
Encounters such as those of Muriel and Julius are far too short to create real closeness, neighbor Sandra (Sasha Calle) and poker player Henry (Diego Calva) will live an important part of Muriels/Julius too quickly. Minahan justifies these flash emotions through erotically charged moments that are supposed to change a whole life. Even there is an olive core that Muriel spits in Sandra's palm – and the explosion of an atomic bomb is a romantic date of two men. If movements for a perfect camera setting suddenly seem strangely choreographed and even the underwear of the lovers seems to be coordinated, then “On Swift Horses” is so overly stylized that one would have wanted a little more naturalness.
Conclusion: Director Daniel Minahan felt when reading Pufahl's book “Trunken from love in a world full of opportunities”. It's a shame that this love only comes across theoretically and not also on the emotional level. But as with the poker game, some viewers of this bluff will not even notice this bluff due to the captivating retro charm from “On Swift Horses”.