This film by director, Zhoa is a remarkable attempt in giving an emotional depth to the rural American cultural landscape by displaying social class. Its centers the story on an young working class man trying to get a grip on his "manhood" via a surrogate "family" of diverse characters (not to be picky, but some of the acting was little off/over the top). The film's strength is the juxtaposed imagery belonging both to the "serene" rural landscape and the "hyper-masculine" subculture of rodeo. It explores visually the "rites of passage" for young rodeo riders, held steadily by the newly found acting talents of Brady Jandreau. Although many reviews are labeling this filmwork as "docudrama" I feel that it follows the cinematic traditions of Italian "neo-realism" and South American "hunger aesthetics" founded by noted filmmakers such as Walter Salles.
Review of The Rider
