Lean on Pete

— Sometimes a slow reveal is worthwhile and Andrew Haigh knows what he’s doing when he writes and directs. If you saw “45 Years” you probably remember it as much because of Haigh’s skill as Charlotte Rampling’s incredible acting. This time, Haigh focuses on 15-year-old Charlie, already living in the fringes, but who just can’t get a break. Through life’s twists and turns we see Charlie’s depths, fears, loneliness, perseverance, and hopes, and along the way also get a good sense of a few of the people with whom he comes into contact. It’s a wonderful “coming of age” film and, halfway into it also becomes something of a road trip, and maybe a buddy film too—Charlie takes a Quarter Horse named “Lean on Pete” who is about to be sold and ends up on foot going across the desert I wasn’t completely happy with the ending, but the journey was wonderful and beautiful.

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[2017. 121 min. Written and directed by Andrew Haigh. Starring Charlie Plummer, Travis Fimmel, Steve Zahn, and Chloe Sevigny.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/lean-on-pete-2018