Not as old fashioned as it should have been.
There’s a scene later in “On Swift Horses,” regarding two people who appear to be in the brink of an affair, but they’re both secretly gay. That scene regards the girl calling the guy “a coward and a liar,” and the guy responding: “You’ve got your secrets and I’ve got mine!” This sounds like material worthy of a an old-fashioned drama being given a new-fashion sense of style and tone. But instead, “On Swift Horses” relies on too much melodrama and not enough inspiration in its characters.
Based on Shannon Pufahl’s novel with the screenplay by Bryce Casss and the direction by Daniel Minahan (“I Shot Andy Warhol,” “Series 7: The Contenders”), we begin with the Korean War vet Julius (Jacob Eldori) returning home to Kansas to reunite with his brother Lee (Will Poulter), who just proposed to his girlfriend Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones). They all decide to start a new life together in San Diego, but Julius checking for Blackjack cheaters in Las Vegas, while Muriel and Lee are trying to make enough money to buy themselves the perfect house. Part of the contribution can be ideal, as long as Muriel continues betting on horse races and selling her mother’s hold home.
As I mentioned before, it looks to me that Muriel and Julius are having a connection based on how they have their conversations when her husband isn’t around. But it ends up not being the case here, as Muriel starts to have a crush on her new neighbor Sandra (Sasha Calle), while Julius has a thing for his new co-worker Henry (Diego Calva). And that’s why Julius’ plans with his brother and sister-in-law are put on the back burner.
Throughout the film, Lee already knows that his brother is gay, and worries about his well-being in a time of such homophobia. I’ve seen both versions of “The Wedding Banquet,” with the current version being about two gay men and two Lesbians. And both versions were concerned about the homophobia within their respective families. I, myself, was eager to see how both versions would play out, and acknowledge the generations they come from. Given their strong character developments and truthful consistencies, I prefer these films over “On Swift Horses,” which doesn’t delve as deep into these characters or interests as it should have.
The best performances in the film come from Edgar-Jones and Eldori, who both have scenes worthy of the Golden Age of Hollywood. They don’t come out in the open together with their inner interests, and they don’t rely on the most obvious formulas just to make their performances charming. I would have loved Poulter, Calva, and Calle to broaden their horizons more here, as they’re all cut and paste, and lack the ambiance they should possess in such a period piece. And I still think Calva’s role in “Babylon” and that film itself was underrated and under-appreciated.
There are moments when the lovers have fun and when they have to use their words to represent their feelings, but I’m not seeing much humanity within them. A gay romantic drama for both opposite sexes deserves passion and emotions, and that’s what the film wants to have. But it ends up not being enough to win us over.
It’s unfortunate that “On Swift Horses” has the appeal of a classic film, but doesn’t feel like one. I wanted to like it based on how respectively good Edgar-Jones and Elordi were in previous films, and how The Hollywood Reporter suggested that it is “the kind of sweeping romantic drama that Holywood doesn’t make anymore.” But I think a story like this should be more vivid and emotional and less melodramatic and underwritten.
