THE DARK HORSE REVIEWED
“The Dark Horse” plays like “Dangerous Minds” if the lead was as damaged as the kids. Cliff Curtis plays so well in these kinds of roles, but he still doesn’t have the power to bring this Oceania based films to the wider Western world. I appreciate Broad Green for finally bringing this two year old film to North America. That being said, I can see a ton of people having problems with the film’s use of mental illness. Honestly, I think it’s pretty true to life.
Cliff Curtis’s character isn’t played for drama, but shown rather coldly as a guy who is still struggling throughout the film. The kids aren’t dressed up or given a moment for greater glory. The kids do improve, but it’s not like their lives change that greatly. I’ve had a conversation about this earlier in the week and I’ve come to learn something. Americans say they hate melodrama, but they love the emotional weight that comes with it. Such benefits don’t come from this film and it’s going to leave a lot of modern audiences rather disappointed. Pick it up for a rental.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Nothing
A/V STATS
- 2.40:1 standard definition transfer
- Dolby Digital 5.1
