Bull (2019 film)

Bull is a 2019 American drama film directed by Annie Silverstein.[1] It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.[2] Since the film's premiere, it has received resounding critical acclaim.[3] It also went on to screen at the Deauville Film Festival winning three of the top five prizes, including the Grand Jury prize, Revelation prize for best first film and the Critics' prize.[4][5] The film will be distributed by Sony Pictures Worldwide.[6]

Bull
Film poster
Directed byAnnie Silverstein
Produced byMonique Walton
Bert Marcus
Heather Rae
Ryan Zacarias
Audrey Rosenberg
Written byAnnie Silverstein
Johnny McAllister
StarringRob Morgan
Amber Havard
Yolonda Ross
Music byWilliam Ryan Fritch
CinematographyShabier Kirchner
Edited byMiguel Schverdfinger
Todd Holmes
Production
company
  • Bert Marcus Film
  • Invisible Pictures
Distributed bySony Pictures Worldwide
Samuel Goldwyn Films
Release date
  • May 15, 2019 (2019-05-15) (Cannes)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Cast

Reception

Bull has received positive from critics. As of July 2020, 90% of the 84 reviews compiled on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes are positive, with an average rating of 7.32/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "An intimate two-hander anchored by a pair of well-matched actors, Bull takes an achingly empathetic look at life on the economic margins."[3] At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[7]

Bull premiered on May 15, 2019 in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival.[8][9] The Hollywood Reporter named Bull one of the best films at the Cannes Film Festival.[10] Reviews have stated that the film is "moving"[11] and that the two main characters "Morgan and Havard are excellent as the leads and are immensely likeable characters" [8] "create a quiet storm."[12]

Sight & Sound gave the film a five star review and noted that "Bull,...is a mesmerising film, and one that will linger in the imagination long after the sounds of the crickets have faded." [13] The Playlist also states that "the result is a sensitive, if occasionally orthodox, treatment of a compassionate friendship enacted in the face of societal apathy" and that "it's a hardscrabble tale of one singular bond amidst a landscape of socio-economic struggle."[14]

IndieWire writes that the film is "The Rider Meets The Wrestler in Striking Portrait of Black Rodeos."[15] IndieWire goes on to use the words "Touching, absorbing and poignant" to describe the film and states that it is "a wondrous vision of life on the edge" and "an evocative coming-of-age story...carried by a pair of astounding performances that hover on a plane of their own, generating unique chemistry that finds its emotional center with time." [15] The Hollywood Reporter also praises the direction stating that it is a "a poignantly restrained feature debut."[16] Ion Cinema distinguishes the film with other titles by stating that the main character's relationship "exemplifies facets of humanity most of Bull's comparable titles do not." [17]

Film Threat states that the film "is shot beautifully in a slice-of-life style of storytelling. Void of theatrics. No exposition. No grand speeches about life (although there is a little bit of wisdom derived from the sport of bull riding itself). Their lives are portrayed as real, like a wind-up toy and you simply follow where it goes. Conflict never feels contrived, and Havard and Morgan give wonderfully subtle authentic performances. Your right there as Kris and Abe as the two make tough choices to get them to the next stage of their lives. It’s a subtle tale about the bonds of friendship in times of hopelessness." [18] In addition, Cinemayward gave the film a 4/5.[19] The Alliance of Women Film Journalists stated that the film is a "powerful, poetic debut feature" and that the film "portrays marginal lives with unflinching honesty and heart-wrenching humanity." [20] Slash Film also notes that "Bull stands as a powerful debut feature from a director with a keen eye for detail and terrific rapport with her performers, many of them untrained. The film easily could have descended into mawkishness, but instead the travails of Kris and Abe feel entirely real, and thus all the more moving. Silverstein takes Bull by the horns and drags us into this world, making us feel a part of these characters, witnessing their strengths and weakness as they come to grips with the challenges of life in their Texas town." [21]

The film has also been compared to the film, The Rider, but has been keenly distinguished: "far from being a carbon copy, it is another multifaceted cinematic examination of characters that are often pushed to the peripheries or treated with pity. It’s a fantastic narrative feature debut for Silverstein, and more than worthy of Un Certain Regard." [22] Forbes notes that "[i]t’s not often that a piece of cinema like this comes along, something so simply composed and precise, that it is genuinely affecting."[23] Rolling Stone rated movie 4 out of 5 and writes that it is one of the great screen performances of the year.[24] Film critic Nell Minow for Roger Ebert.com gave 3.5 out of 4 stars and said the film is “quietly observed, beautifully performed”.[25] The film was mentioned as “Authentic "Bull" one of year's best” by the newspaper Illinois Times and rated them 4/4.[26]

References
  1. "The Screenings Guide 2019". May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  2. "Cannes festival 2019: full list of films". The Guardian. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  3. "Bull (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  4. "Deauville: Annie Silverstein's 'Bull' Takes Top Prize". The Hollywood Reporter.
  5. Keslassy, Elsa (September 15, 2019). "Annie Silverstein's 'Bull' Takes Top Awards, Robert Pattinson Starrer 'The Lighthouse' Wins Jury Prize at Deauville".
  6. Keslassy, Elsa (October 9, 2019). "Sony Nabs International Rights to Cannes Title 'Bull' From Film Constellation (EXCLUSIVE)".
  7. "Bull Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  8. Titmarsh, Jo-Ann (May 16, 2019). "Bull Review – Cannes 2019". Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  9. Dargis, Manohla (May 16, 2019). "Cannes Film Festival: It's Apocalypse Now, Thanks to Jim Jarmusch". Retrieved May 17, 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  10. "'Bull' - Cannes: Hollywood Reporter Critics Pick the 20 Best Films of the Fest". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  11. Urbancich, John M. (May 22, 2019). "JMuvies - Film News and Reviews: Cannes film 'Bull' shows tough slices of life from both ends of age spectrum". Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  12. "'Bull' Film Review: Annie Silverstein Finds Signs of Life in Numb Characters". May 15, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  13. "Bull first look: a bucking portrait of a rodeoing odd couple - Sight & Sound". British Film Institute. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  14. "'Bull': Annie Silverstein's Portrait Of Bull Riders Is No Fairy Tale [Cannes Review]". theplaylist.net. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  15. Kohn, Eric (May 15, 2019). "'Bull' Review: 'The Rider' Meets 'The Wrestler' in Striking Portrait of Black Rodeos — Cannes". Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  16. "'Bull': Film Review - Cannes 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  17. Bell, Nicholas (May 15, 2019). "Bull - 2019 Cannes Film Festival Review". Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  18. Ng, Alan (May 16, 2019). "Bull". Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  19. "Bull". cinemayward. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  20. "BULL – Review by Loren King – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS". Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  21. "'Bull' Review: Annie Silverstein is an American Indie Filmmaker to Watch [Cannes]". /Film. May 20, 2019.
  22. Lauren, Author (May 20, 2019). "Bull (2019)". Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  23. Thompson, Simon. "Review: 'Bull' Is A Raw, Rich And Realistic Slice Of American Life". Forbes.
  24. Fear, David (May 1, 2020). "'Bull' Review: A Broken Rider, a Lost Teen and an Unlikely Friendship". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  25. Minow, Nell. "Bull movie review & film summary (2020) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  26. Koplinski, Chuck. "Authentic Bull one of year's best". Illinois Times. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
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