Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Marina Hands | ... | Gracieuse | |
Bruno Ganz | ... | Franz Mann | |
Josiane Balasko | ... | Joséphine de Silène | |
Amanda Harlech | ... | Susan | |
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Isabel Karajan | ... | Alice |
Olivier Perrier | ... | Le père de Gracieuse | |
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Lionel Dray | ... | Jacky |
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Muftie Alpin | ... | Mina |
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Matthias Alexander Rath | ... | Franz Mann jeune |
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Agnès Juhel | ... | Première patronne de Gracieuse |
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Philippe Martin | ... | Organisateur de concours |
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Thierry Nenez | ... | Paysan 'fille de jaguar' |
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Nicolas Wakeford | ... | Groom concours |
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Chiara De Luca | ... | Anna Luisa |
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Piet Vercruysse | ... | Le mari de la cliente |
Enraged by the sale of the vaulting horse that she'd been promised as hers to ride, Gracieuse, a talented rider, dumps her job at a stable. She starts again from zero by accepting work as a groom at a dressage stud farm adjacent to her father's property. The owner, Joséphine de Silène, exploits with an iron fist the international renown of a German trainer, Franz Mann. This former champion, now cynical and worn out, is sought out by female riders the world over, who fight each other for his knowledge - and for his attention. This microcosm of power and money has no time for Gracieuse, whose only assets are her talent, her fiercely stubborn character, and, most particularly, her determination to succeed. A high tension wire who's ready to stand up to Franz Mann and to face any obstacle, even if it means stepping outside the law, she pursues her sole obsession: to have horse to call her own that she will take to the top. Written by lletaif
I'm not a true horse person but do love riding them and being around them. I think Winston Churchill said something like "There is something about the outside of a horse which is good for the inside of a man" (sexist, yes). This film, whatever its faults may be in the nitty gritty of horse training and dressage, conveys some of the wonder that one can experience with a horse.
Marina Hands who plays the main character is a bit wooden in the role and at times strikes me as perhaps on the autism spectrum. Bruno Ganz gives another remarkable performance on fairly slender material. If you are not familiar with his work you may enjoy "Bread and Tulips" and "Wings of Desire."