Poulter is exceptional, revealing layers of consciousness that explain why Lee is more complicated than he seems at first glance. He doesn’t question his marriage and the suburban American dream that everyone wants. But he knows more about his brother than he lets on. “I’m not asking you to change, Julius. I just want you to be safe,” he says. He doesn’t know much about his wife, and gently warns her that Julius is not the man she thinks he is. “He has his own passions, he’s just not like us,” he tells her. When Henry disappears, Julius arrives in San Diego looking for him, but it all falls apart.
Bryce Kass’s screenplay, based on Shannon Pfaffard’s 2019 novel, is overstuffed with story. Muriel Julius’ gambling, the emotional love triangle, and the hidden gay life could have been enough drama on their own to make a movie. Combine them and you get a mountain of problems. In a director’s statement, Minahan said of the film, “Gambling became a code word for homosexuality, and money became a symbol of freedom for our heroes.” It may work as an afterthought and message, but it’s a heavy idea on screen. Swift Horse isn’t a flop, but it’s a disappointment given its lead actors and potential.
★★★☆☆
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