'Dark Horse' A Review

Dark Horse is a documentary about thoroughbred racehorse Dream Alliance owned by a syndicate of working class Blackwood villagers. The film is composed of interviews, archival footage, and reenactments. It tells the story of waitress and cleaning woman Janet Vokes's dream to breed and own a race horse.

The film follows the relatively conventional formula of the inspirational sports drama but is made fresh by the colorful characters populating the syndicate as well as the relatively unknown(for the US at least) arena of horse racing. The story of Dream Alliance is compelling on multiple fronts. It's a classic underdog story in regards to Dream himself, humble unremarkable origins, becomes a legit contender. Then there is the story of the syndicate, a group of working class people in a former mining town, not necessarily in a position to waste income, who come together to pursue a dream which ultimately brings the community together and puts the town on the map. This is all in relation to the star of the film Janet Vokes who through determination and perseverance pursued an aspiration into reality.

In this day and age we rarely get stories without some level of self-consciousness or defensive irony. Rarely do we get a story of such unabashed inspiration, such honest sincerity, that is not only entertaining but shows the beauty of hope, the glory of dreams.

A shiver and tear inducing triumph of the human spirit.

Don't Miss It.