Ride Like a Girl

I knew I would like the movie, I'm a huge fan of Teresa Palmer and I am from Melbourne so it was a no brainer to see this movie. I didn't expect to cry so much! Laugh so much! Feel so inspired! I didn't know what michelle went through to win this race and it was probably one of the best Aussie movies I've seen, and I love me an Aussie movie! Stevie was just the most beautiful of all, and Teresa really did seem like she embodied Michelle Payne - incredible!

Ride Like a Girl is easily the best Australian movie since Gallipoli. It is also probably the best horse racing movie from anywhere ever and I have seen a lot of them because my partner loves horses. Where to start? The great shots of one of the most beautiful parts of rural Victoria are stunning. The cast is superb. Teresa Palmer, Sam Neill and Stevie Payne playing himself are all 10/10. There is an added bonus of some much loved faces in the supporting cast such as Magda Szubanski, Mick Molloy and Shane Bourne. The racing scenes are exciting and authentic. The integration of actual footage from the 2015 race is very professionally done. Sure, it is a tear-jerker but most horse movies are. But it is a true story of an inspirational young woman who Australia should be immensely proud of. As Molly would say, do yourself a favour and see this one.

Another great Australian film, Sam Neil was great in it as always, him along with Teresa Parker and Henry Nixon. They all did great in this incredibly uplifting and well acted out and directed movie based on a true story of the first female champion of the Melbourne Cup. Best aussie film of the year, go see it

I have always been a fan of the actress Rachel Griffiths, but now I add Director to her remarkable C.V. I am not a racing fan but I found this film captivating from the get go. The performances of all characters were terrific, especially Stevie Payne (who played himself). The story was (to my knowledge) very accurately told, and right from the beginning they began with real video and audio of the real Michelle Payne. The horse racing was gripping, and the trials and tribulations of Michele were sympathetically dealt with. It brought more than the odd tear to the eyes of this middle aged man. Well worth a look, especially on the big screen.

Rachel Griffiths makes her debut as a Director. The story is based on Michelle Payne who was the first woman jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. You would have to be living under a rock not to know who she is if you are Australian. It is a big deal to win the Melbourne Cup in OZ and for this reason alone the story is interesting to watch. Michelle Payne's story is inspirational and a tribute to her determination to be the top of her field. Stevie Payne played himself and he was given so many witty lines. There is a brilliant line when Michelle Payne asks Stevie if she is good enough to win before she mounts Prince of Penzance. Stevie replies "I don't know if you are, but he is. He's a champion." And the rest is history. Michelle Payne's story is one of remarkable determination. From a filmmaking point of view there were a few minor issues such as skirting over the death of Michelle's sister Bridget in a riding accident, trying to go for charm over substance and at times obvious exposition. I think the story could have benefited from more fleshing out instead of just focusing on the known facts. There were some problems with the choice of shots. I felt like some of the shots created a lack of atmosphere. The audience was often shown close shots when there could have been mid or wide shots. I would have liked to see more wide shots of the Australian landscape and experience more of what it was actually like for Michelle to participate in a male dominated sport or to actually ride a horse in the event. What we saw was quite limited. There is also the elephant in the room. The lack of exploration about the treatment of horses in the film. Even if it is too difficult to address the abuse of animals by the filmmakers I would have liked to have seen more about horses. Anyway making a film is never easy and the team should be congratulated. Worth seeing.