Every once in a while, I try to go out of my way to find a movie or TV show starring a well-established character actor in a lead role. In my experience, it usually works out, like it did with Terrence Stamp in The Limey or Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad. This time around I watched the film Jockey, starring veteran supporting actor Clifton Collins Jr. in a career-best, if not career-defining role. It’s a film about aging and the wisdom and regret that comes with it, about love and forgiveness, and more superficially, about horse racing and the world surrounding it.

Like most people, I only know a bit about horse racing, and even less about the tribulations endured by the people in the sport. Those tribulations are what form the framework of Jockey, a film about an aging jockey named Jackson Silva (Clifton Collins Jr.) who’s quickly approaching the end of his career, and whose body is literally shutting down after years of wear and tear. This physical deterioration is one of those things I personally never contemplated when it came to the sport, but it makes sense given how vicious horse-riding must be on the human body when done over decades. This physical aspect of the Collins Jr.’s performance is expertly portrayed by the actor, so much so I almost believed he was feeling actual pain with every subtle wince.

I imagine that a lot of this authenticity came from writer/director Clint Bentley’s informed instruction, as he was born on a cattle ranch and his father was a jockey and horse trainer. It’s unsurprising then that this movie feels so personal, and that the cast’s performances feel so lived-in and genuine. The film even includes scenes with real jockeys, further adding to the depth and realism on display. Jockey doesn’t present a glamorized version of high-level horse racing, à la Seabiscuit; no, it shows us the nitty gritty of everyday horse racing and the people who grind it out daily to make a living in the industry. In other words, don’t expect a lot of racing set-pieces in this one, because they’re beside the point (and likely too expensive for an indie film like this).

As interesting as it was to watch Collins Jr. sink his teeth into playing an older jockey struggling to survive in a young person’s sport, it was just as interesting when his story shifted from its professional side to its personal one. A good chunk of Jockey’s screen-time is dedicated to Jackson Silva’s burgeoning relationship with a young jockey named Gabriel (Moisés Arias), who claims to be his son. It’s incredibly satisfying to watch this side of the story play out, with Jackson suddenly presented with a predicament: should he believe the kid and take him under his wing? Or should he doubt the kid, who potentially represents the younger rider who will soon replace him? Both actors give supremely convincing performances here, and the final scene between the two, which could be seen as the film’s dramatic set-piece, is one I’ll not likely soon forget.

Another of Jackson’s relationships that the movie explores is with his trainer, Ruth Wilkes, played by the excellent Molly Parker. Her character Ruth is fiercely dedicated to Jackson, despite his clear physical decline, at the possible expense of winning and the money that comes with it. Add on that she has a new horse that’s the best she’s ever trained, and it puts her in a tough spot. Molly Parker handles her performance flawlessly here, bringing a high level of charm and charisma to the picture. It’s the kind of role I imagine actresses yearn for, as Ruth isn’t reduced to being just the romantic interest or the bitchy boss. That’s not to say that she and Jackson don’t love each other, because they do, but it’s not the kind of love I’m used to seeing portrayed on-screen between a man and woman. Their relationship is so nuanced and beautiful, and I was left wanting more of it.

From a technical aspect, Jockey is similarly terrific. Clint Bentley’s direction belies his age and experience, marking him as a filmmaker to watch and then some. In addition, the film’s photography is absolutely stunning, blending its film grain with radiant pastel colors. There must have been at least a dozen shots of characters silhouetted by sunrise or sunset, inundating the screen with shades of orange and pink. Sunsets are gorgeous, sure, but if I had one piece of feedback for DP Adolpho Veloso, it would be to hold off from using the same shot too much (it’s a bit showy). I should also commend the editor, Parker Laramie, who kept the film moving at a brisk pace and helped it have the perfect runtime for this sort of story. And lastly, I really enjoyed the score from Aaron and Bryce Dessner, which I found to be subtle and reposeful.

If Jockey falls short in any area, it’s that its budget likely precluded the option of having any horse racing sequences. I know I said earlier that racing is beside the point, but I can’t help but feel that a proper horse race scene would have added to the movie’s drama in a big way, especially toward the end. I kept thinking of Whiplash and its stellar musical set-piece that punctuated it. If Jockey had something like that, it would have been almost without fault. My only other complaint is that the film occasionally feels like it meanders a bit, as if it lacks cohesion from time to time. Some of the intervening scenes between the heavier, emotional ones come off as filler that doesn’t always need to be there, but even those scenes are so well-done.

Jockey is a film about margins. Horse races are decided by margins, and horse racers and trainers live on the margins, waking up early to work and staying up late to party. It’s also a film about getting older and the understanding that comes with that. Understanding like figuring out that people aren’t much different from horses. Like it’s said in the film, we all get ridden by somebody: horses by their jockeys, jockeys by their trainers, trainers by their owners. And in the end, like the horses that’ll gallop until their hearts give out, we often have to be told by someone else when to quit. Jockey mines ideas and themes like this to their fullest, and I was left thoroughly impressed by its insightfulness when it ended. And even if those philosophical explorations don’t move you, I’m willing to bet that Clifton Collins Jr. and Molly Parker will. If nothing else, Jockey demonstrates that they’re two actors at the top of their game and with a lot of track still ahead of them.

If I had to score it, I’d give Jockey an 8/10.