Published 2016 on Down Under Flix
Director: Simon Wincer
Director: Simon Wincer
Stars: Stephen Curry, Daniel MacPherson, Brendan Gleeson
Whether
you see it as the race that stops the nation or the race that divides the nation (there’s valid argument for both), and whether it’s the
gravitational centre of your day, a chance to go all Caligula, or simply background noise, there’s no shaking that the
Melbourne Cup’s a big deal. For non-local readers: it’s a major horse racing
event (along the lines of the Kentucky Derby or Royal Ascot) that’s been
running in Australia for over 150 years. It’s such as big deal that it’s
somewhat surprising the Cup hasn’t featured too prominently in local films,
though the prohibitive cost of recreating the event is obviously a factor.
Crime comedies Horseplay and The Hard Word (both 2002)
spring to mind as recent films to feature the event, albeit in a supporting
role. Simon Wincer’s 1983 film Phar
Lap, about the titular champion race horse, is probably the
best-known film to feature the event. It’s fitting, then, that Wincer takes
directing reins of 2011’s The
Cup.
The
film is based on the true story of Damien Oliver (played by Stephen Curry), a
celebrated jockey hailing from a racing family: his brother Jason (Daniel
MacPherson) is also a jockey, as was his father, who died in a riding accident
when Damien was a child. In 2002 Damien is hired to ride an Irish champion
horse in the Melbourne Cup, under the guidance of trainer Dermot Weld (Brendan
Gleeson). But after a tragic accident claims his brother’s life, Damien loses
his confidence in the saddle and must reclaim it before race day. You can
probably see where this is going…
I’ll
fess up completely to my mercenary decision to schedule this review for Cup
week: if this site was actually selling something beyond the curation of
local films, you might even call it clickbait. In my defence, I also considered
posting a review of Hugh Keays-Byrne’s counter-culture action film Resistance for Guy Fawkes
Day, but opted to wait til later. I also considered posting about an
Australian horror film for Halloween, but opted not to because, well…
Mercenary
scheduling aside, I was curious to see The
Cup because director Simon Wincer fascinates me. He directed
the Ozploitation gems Snapshot and Harlequin early in his
career, and would later direct such prestige projects as Phar Lap, The Lighthorsemen, and the
miniseries Lonesome Dove,
but is best known for generic, populist, straight-down-the-middle fare
like Free Willy, Operation Dumbo Drop, The Phantom, and one of Paul
Hogan’s best films (Lightning
Jack) and worst (Crocodile
Dundee in Los Angeles). Toss in three (!) Tom Selleck Westerns (Quigley Down Under, Crossfire Trail, Monte Walsh) and the somewhat
inexplicable Harley Davidson
and the Marlboro Man, and that’s an eclectic but workmanlike CV.
When
I say The Cup is
consistent with Wincer’s wider filmography in being efficient, workmanlike
filmmaking, I don’t mean that as faint praise or a backhanded compliment.
Whilst auteurism is always a sexier proposition, wrestling a coherent vision of
any sort onto the screen is no miniscule feat, and Wincer’s been at it for over
35 years. The Cup is
solid filmmaking, not to mention handsomely mounted: unlike a lot of other
local films, there’s some serious money on screen, as befitting a story that
spans continents and major cultural events. The film also features an innately
likeable cast doing likeable work: Curry’s a sympathetic lead, MacPherson makes
a good impression with limited screentime, and folks like Trish Oliver, Shaun
Micalef, Martin Sacks, Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Bill Hunter, and Phar Lap’s own Tom Burlinson
round out the ensemble. Plus there’s import Brendan Gleeson who, whilst not
necessarily stretched by the material, aces it as he has each and every role since Braveheart.
Befitting
its polished package, the film was modestly successful, earning just a hair
under 2.75 million dollars locally – no blockbuster, but respectable by
Australian film standards – and scraping its way into the ranks of the 100 most successful Australian films at the local box office (one spot below Sirens).
On researching the film, I was genuinely surprised to find it received a lukewarm
critical reaction, rating only 29 on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer; truth be told, the film struck me as too innocuous to inspire
any kind of animosity.
And
yet, there’s no getting around the fact that The Cup is very, very formulaic, erring
closely to the classic Hollywood sports film triumph > tragedy > triumph
(or riches > rags > riches) formula (see Rocky II and III as exemplars). Of course, it’s based on a
true story that already mirrors that trajectory somewhat, and I don’t want to
diminish the real-life tragedy or triumph underpinning the story. But Wincer
and co-writer Eric O’Keefe hammer the true story so thoroughly into formulaic
shape that most plot and emotional beats are telegraphed well in advance,
making for a predictable, familiar viewing experience. Moreover, as director,
Wincer engineers some moments of blatant (albeit skilful) emotional
manipulation. In an interview with Slash Film, he states:
what
I look for when I’m editing a film is those moments when all the elements of
performance, sound effects, music and cinematography combine to send a shiver
up your spine. You really try to get those key moments, you know? … Like the
whale [in Free Willy]
leaping over the wall. Finding those moments and it’s the sum total of
everything that’s come before. It’s about mountains and valleys. Putting a
character in a deep valley and then watching them climb out of it and that, to
me, is what you have to deliver.
There’s
no doubt Wincer has a knack for pinpointing those moments and orchestrating and
amplifying them. However, a little restraint can also go a long way. The
Cup is slick entertainment from one of Australia’s best
populist journeymen, but it’s also thoroughly familiar fare, with a sap streak
as wide as Flemington Racecourse.
Ben Kooyman