On Swift Horses ★★★

The struggle between conformity and being authentic to her hidden desires plays out as a gamble – both literally and metaphorically. Having moved to San Diego, she begins covertly gambling at the horse racing track after overhearing tips from customers at the diner where she works. But also she develops an attraction to her neighbour, Sandra (Sasha Calle).

Instead of moving with them to California as his brother wants, Julius heads to the bright lights of Las Vegas, working for a casino, spotting any cheating at the tables. It’s there that he starts a passionate affair with co-worker Henry (Diego Calva).

Their parallel journeys of self-discovery and coming to terms with who they really are reflect and contrast each other. Gail (Kat Cunningham), a beautiful woman that Muriel meets at the racetrack, warns her about embracing her queer desires: “We’re all just a hair’s breadth from losing everything.” When Muriel stops gambling, as she knows that there will be a point where her luck will run out, it suggests her self-control and the possibility that she may have to settle for conformity. By contrast, despite the dangers in 1950s America, Julius is all in with his love for Henry, regardless of the consequences.

Luc Montpellier’s cinematography is gorgeous, whether offering lush slices of 1950s Americana or sensuous intimacy of the scenes of forbidden love. He gives the film such a sumptuous gloss that you may wallow so much in the mesmerising period style that it may distract you from the movie’s many flaws.

Minahan’s direction simmers in all the right places when the protagonists’ hidden desires threaten to come to the surface – but Bryce Kass’ meandering screenplay is too disjointed for the story truly to reach boiling point. Put simply, On Swift Horses lacks narrative horsepower. Stripped of all the cinematic trappings, it is a melodrama without much drama.