TIFF Review: Dark Horse

A small Welsh coal mining town takes part in the sport of kings with surprising results.

A barmaid has a dream of breeding and owning a thoroughbred race horse and goes about recruiting various members of the community who initially think the idea is an act of folly; however, her perseverance pays off leading to the establishment of an ownership syndicate which works together to provide necessary the financial support.

The true story has all of the elements of an inspirational Hollywood movie: underdog, success, near death experience, comeback, and national headlines.  The focus is on those involved with making the horse, known as Dream Alliance, a racing sensation and filmmaker Louise Osmond (Deep Water) wisely chose a select few to interview allowing time for the viewer to get to know them.

When it comes to production value, the documentary features slick graphics, slow-motion footage, close-up shots, and re-enactments.  A great addition is the music which has as much personality as those being interviewed.  The underdog theme gets repetitive as well as some of the close-up shots but overall Dark Horse is an enjoyable and inspirational cinematic affair.

Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada; he can be found at LinkedIn.