Lean on Pete is about a young orphaned boy trying to travel across America with a horse he took a liking too, when working with him.This film is written and directed by Andrew Haigh (45 Years). It stars Charlie Plummer (All the Money in the World), Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color) and Travis Fimmel (Warcraft: The Beginning).Haigh has created characters that feel as real as my family and friends, he also directs with a realistic eye, including some mesmerizing shots of the sky. Plummer's performance as the lead Charley is heartbreaking and constantly amazed me with the emotions he could exude with looks and actions. The story and writing are realistic and all around FANTASTIC! This film surprised me with just how brilliant it is. 10/10

Nope! This is not that. Even if they want you to think it is. This is a story of ambition. Struggle for the ultimate destination. And I know those words are heavy but they suit here for the Pete.

Horse racing in Portland? Sure. That is akin to cattle farming in Alaska, or snowplowing in New Mexico. This movie was written and directed by British people who know nothing about Portland Oregon. Horse farming in Portland is niche and is solely owned/operated by families... people do not move to Portland to care for horses. They might move to outlying areas in Oregon and hope to be able to work on a farm with migrant workers for less than minimum wage, but they don't do what this story implies. Another example of a great story being filmed in a city where the inhabitants are so in love with themselves that they rate anything filmed in the city 110%, especially if it sucks.Now I'm not saying the movie is horrible... I'm just saying that this is a British film, screened in British/European film festivals with Australian and British actors (and friends of Buschemi from Boardwalk Empire) and that one chick from Kids, that is filmed in Portland Oregon where a story like this would never ever take place, by people who don't know anything about the region geographically or culturally. And simply because the film takes place in Portland Oregon all of the Hollywood elitists and liberals couldn't possibly do anything less than rate this movie a 7+/10.Just because the book is good, the story is good, a couple of the actors are good, and the city is favored by the people who attend film festivals, does not mean that the movie is good. If you set your story somewhere that is not realistic, then you can't expect your story to be taken seriously. Especially 7+/10 seriously. I give it a 5. And I'm sure that it will be closer to that within a few years when the hyped-up ratings die down.

Lean On Pete (2018) is a phenomenal adventure/drama directed by Andrew Haigh. This film is infinitely more than it looks at first glance. Each character is well written and has purpose, feeling as if they existed in this universe before and after entering the screen. Very well paced, and following its own rules, I was captivated watching this fantastic story unfold within this rich and beautiful world in which they created.