Cinema Slut #2019 - Ride Like a Girl

I had super mixed feelings going into the latest Australian movie, Ride Like a Girl, it's been a big week for horse riding in Australia. If you have been living under a rock, here is a summary.

Yeah so it's a rough time for a film about Michelle Payne to land on Australian screens.

Adelaide actress and mother of three Teresa Palmer plays Payne and does a solid job, Sam Neill is great as father Paddy whilst Magda Szubanski and Blindspot lead Sullivan Stapleton as have roles.

Whilst someone who I am really warming to, Ms Brooke Satchwell plays sister Therese Payne. I have loved her character on Mr Inbetween develop over recent weeks.

OK back to the film, I hate sports betting, I am not a fan of horse racing and the brutality that follows, so it's not a great pick for me. However I love to support Australian cinema, still Top End Wedding should have really done better business than it did. This year in Australian cinema has really given us a mixed bag.



OK to the good points, the family bond (particularly Michelle and real life brother Stevie) is beautiful, the racing parts not so beautiful, the lengths Michelle (and most likely her brothers/sisters) went to, to race/lose weight for a category was extreme. To the point where it was confronting.

I think director and Aussie legend Rachel Griffiths thought this film was a no brainer, however no one saw the 7:30 report coming about the entire horse industry.

If I had of seen this film a week earlier I may have had different reactions to parts of the film, however I saw it when I did and I have to score accordingly. 3 Stars for an inspirational but equally heartbreaking story.