Bull
Film poster
Directed byAnnie Silverstein
Written byAnnie Silverstein
Johnny McAllister
Produced byMonique Walton
Bert Marcus
Heather Rae
Ryan Zacarias
Audrey Rosenberg
StarringRob Morgan
Amber Havard
Yolonda Ross
CinematographyShabier Kirchner
Edited byMiguel Schverdfinger
Todd Holmes
Music byWilliam Ryan Fritch
Production
companies
  • Bert Marcus Film
  • Invisible Pictures
Distributed bySamuel Goldwyn Films
Release dates
  • May 15, 2019 (2019-05-15) (Cannes)
  • May 1, 2020 (2020-05-01) (United States)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Bull is a 2019 American drama film directed by Annie Silverstein.[1] It premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.[2] The film received widespread critical acclaim and went on to screen at the Deauville Film Festival, where it won three of the top five prizes including the Grand Jury Prize, Revelations Prize for Best First Film, and the Critics Award.[3][4] Bull was released to video on demand and streaming platforms on May 1, 2020.[5]

Plot

In Houston, Texas, Kris is a 14-year-old girl who lives with her grandmother and younger sister while her mother Janis is incarcerated. One night, Kris breaks into the home of Abe, a man who lives down the street from her, in an attempt to steal his alcohol and painkillers for her and her friends. She is caught by Abe, but in lieu of her serving time in a juvenile hall, Abe agrees to let Kris make amends by helping him clean his house and repair his chicken coop. Unbeknownst to Kris, Abe is a former bull rider whose accumulated injuries caused him to leave the sport. Abe manages to scrape a living as a trainer for the next generation of riders. He and Kris gradually form a tentative friendship as she is exposed to the world of bull riding. Though Kris finds a new passion for the sport, bad influences threaten to lure her back to her delinquent ways. Abe also struggles with the realities of getting older and aging out of the rodeo star life.

Cast

  • Rob Morgan as Abe Turner
  • Amber Havard as Kris
  • Yolonda Ross as Sheila
  • Keira Bennett as Chance
  • Keeli Wheeler as Marjorie
  • Sara Allbright as Janis
  • Troy Anthony Hogan as Mike
  • Steven Boyd as Billy
  • Roishaun Davenport as Roishaun

Release

The film had its world premiere on May 15, 2019 at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section.[6][7] The Hollywood Reporter named Bull one of the best films screened at the festival.[8] In October, the film's North American rights were acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films.[9] Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions acquired international distribution rights.[10]

The film had its American premiere on October 18, 2019 at Film Independent's New Wave showcase.[11] On May 1, 2020, the film was released digitally.[5]

Reception

Bull received positive from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 89 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. 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."[12] At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]

Critics praised the film for the acting of its two leads, Silverstein's focus on an unfamiliar world, and its slice-of-life approach.[6][14][15][16][17][18] Eric Kohn of IndieWire wrote the film is "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."[19] Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com awarded the film 3.5 out of 4 stars and said the film is “quietly observed, beautifully performed",[20] while Alan Ng of Film Threat opined the film is "a subtle tale about the bonds of friendship in times of hopelessness."[16] The New York Times's Jeanette Catsoulis said the film "handles hot-button issues with a cool eye and a calming tone."[21]

Sight & Sound gave the film a five star review and opined Bull "is a mesmerising film, and one that will linger in the imagination long after the sounds of the crickets have faded."[22] The Playlist stated, "the result is a sensitive, if occasionally orthodox, treatment of a compassionate friendship enacted in the face of societal apathy", and "it's a hardscrabble tale of one singular bond amidst a landscape of socio-economic struggle."[23]

Much acclaim was given to the performance of Rob Morgan. In Pajiba, Roxana Hadadi wrote, "As the lead in Annie Silverstein’s Bull, Morgan reiterates what he’s capable of, delivering a captivating performance of a man aging out of his dream and realizing, not for the first or the last time, that maybe his passion isn’t enough."[24] David Fear of Rolling Stone gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and said Morgan gives one of the great screen performances of the year.[25]

Hadadi added that while the plot line can seem like a familiar "troubled white person saved by the influence of a POC" narrative, Bull is able to sidestep the cliches "because of how much time it spends with Morgan’s Abe, and how much time it spends in the ring. Like The Wrestler or The Rider or even Lean on Pete, Bull is interested in the toll a sport takes on your body, on the ways we build up our tolerance for that pain, and on the limits of how much we can take."[24]

Loren King of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists stated the film is a "powerful, poetic debut feature" and that the film "portrays marginal lives with unflinching honesty and heart-wrenching humanity."[26] Slash Film also noted Silverstein has 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."[27]

Though the film was heavily compared to the film The Rider, critics said Bull is "far from being a carbon copy, [and] 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."[28][29][30] Chuck Koplinski of the Illinois Times gave the film 4/4 stars.[31]

Accolades

Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
Black Reel Awards Outstanding Actor Rob Morgan Nominated [32]
Cannes Film Festival Golden Camera Annie Silverstein Nominated [1]
Un Certain Regard Award Nominated
Deauville Film Festival[3] Critics Award Won [3]
Grand Special Prize Won
Revelations Prize Won
Houston Film Critics Society Awards Texas Independent Film Award Won [33]
Independent Spirit Awards Best Male Lead Rob Morgan Nominated [34]
Best Cinematography Shabier Kirchner Nominated
Someone to Watch Award Annie Silverstein Nominated
SXSW Film Festival Louis Black "Lone Star" Award
Special Jury Recognition for Acting		 Rob Morgan Won [35]

References

  1. 1 2 "The Screenings Guide 2019". festival-cannes.com. May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Cannes festival 2019: full list of films". The Guardian. May 6, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 "Deauville: Annie Silverstein's 'Bull' Takes Top Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. September 14, 2019.
  4. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (September 15, 2019). "Annie Silverstein's 'Bull' Takes Top Awards, Robert Pattinson Starrer 'The Lighthouse' Wins Jury Prize at Deauville". Variety.
  5. 1 2 "Annie Silverstein's Cannes Drama BULL Moves to a VOD Release Date of May 1". VIMooZ. March 18, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Titmarsh, Jo-Ann (May 16, 2019). "Bull Review – Cannes 2019". heyuguys.com. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  7. ↑ Dargis, Manohla (May 16, 2019). "Cannes Film Festival: It's Apocalypse Now, Thanks to Jim Jarmusch". The New York Times. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Cannes: Hollywood Reporter Critics Pick the 20 Best Films of the Fest". The Hollywood Reporter. May 26, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  9. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (October 8, 2019). "Cannes Drama 'Bull' Rides To North America With Samuel Goldwyn Films". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  10. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (October 9, 2019). "Sony Nabs International Rights to Cannes Title 'Bull' From Film Constellation (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  11. ↑ "Film Independent Announces The New Wave to Open With U.S. Premiere of Annie Silverstein's 'Bull'". Film Independent. October 3, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Bull (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Bull Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  14. ↑ Urbancich, John M. (May 22, 2019). "Film News and Reviews: Cannes film 'Bull' shows tough slices of life from both ends of age spectrum". JMuvies. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  15. ↑ Frosch, Jon (May 15, 2019). "'Bull': Film Review - Cannes 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  16. 1 2 Ng, Alan (May 16, 2019). "Bull". Film Threat. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  17. ↑ Thompson, Simon (August 7, 2019). "Review: 'Bull' Is A Raw, Rich And Realistic Slice Of American Life". Forbes.
  18. ↑ Pond, Steve (April 30, 2020). "'Bull' Film Review: Annie Silverstein Finds Signs of Life in Numb Characters". TheWrap. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  19. ↑ Kohn, Eric (May 15, 2019). "'Bull' Review: 'The Rider' Meets 'The Wrestler' in Striking Portrait of Black Rodeos — Cannes". IndieWire. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  20. ↑ Minow, Nell (May 1, 2020). "Bull movie review & film summary (2020)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  21. ↑ Catsoulis, Jeannette (April 30, 2020). "'Bull' Review: A Lot to Wrangle With". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  22. ↑ Harrison, Rebecca (May 23, 2019). "Bull first look: a bucking portrait of a rodeoing odd couple". Sight & Sound. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  23. ↑ Tsai, Caroline (May 16, 2019). "'Bull': Annie Silverstein's Portrait Of Bull Riders Is No Fairy Tale [Cannes Review]". The Playlist. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  24. 1 2 Hadadi, Roxana (May 8, 2020). "Review: Character Actor Rob Morgan Deserves an Oscar Nom for 'Bull'". Pajiba. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  25. ↑ Fear, David (May 1, 2020). "'Bull' Review: A Broken Rider, a Lost Teen and an Unlikely Friendship". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  26. ↑ King, Loren (May 15, 2019). "Bull". Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  27. ↑ Gorber, Jason (May 20, 2019). "'Bull' Review: Annie Silverstein is an American Indie Filmmaker to Watch [Cannes]". /Film.
  28. ↑ Humphries-Brooks, Lauren (May 20, 2019). "Bull (2019)". suddenlyashotrangout.com. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  29. ↑ Mayward, Joel (May 15, 2019). "Bull". cinemayward. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  30. ↑ Bell, Nicholas (May 15, 2019). "Bull - 2019 Cannes Film Festival Review". Ion Cinema. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  31. ↑ Koplinski, Chuck (April 30, 2020). "Authentic Bull one of year's best". Illinois Times. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  32. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (February 18, 2021). "'One Night in Miami', 'Judas and the Black Messiah' Lead Nominations For 21st Annual Black Reel Awards". Deadline. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  33. ↑ "The Houston Film Critics Society Award Winners for 2019". January 3, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  34. ↑ Sharf, Zack (April 19, 2021). "2021 Spirit Awards Nominations List: 'Never Rarely' Dominates with 7 Noms, 'Minari' Strong". Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  35. ↑ "SXSW Film Festival Announces 2020 Jury and Special Awards" (PDF). SXSW. March 24, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
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