Review of Buck (2011) by Reney W — 26 Sep 2017

Buck (short for Buckshot) Brannaman is the real horse whisperer. The oke Robert Redford phoned. What he manages to coax out of a horse never saddled or ridden before in a few minutes is astounding to the owners, onlookers and viewers of this film.

In a nutshell.

Buck travels the US nine months out of a year to sort out problems between people and horses, mostly caused by people. His own troubled childhood has given him insight into feeling lost, trapped and afraid for your life.

Mood of the film.

Buck is a down-to-earth, what-you-see-is-what-you-get documentary about a young boy who could have gone "bad". His childhood was certainly violent enough to justify some bad choices. Due to an inner strength and a foster family that took him and his brother in, he surprisingly made all the right decisions.

Best performance.

Buck.

Stand-out scene.

After a troubled young horse attacks and splits open a trainer's head, Buck gently, but firmly, tells the owner she's to blame, as a horse is a mirror to the owner's soul.

Negatives.

None.

Is the film relevant today?

In a society where people all too often make bad choices and comfortably blame their childhoods, Buck is a fresh breeze.