This is a true story based on the 2002 Melbourne Cup horse race. As a Brit although I'm aware of the Melbourne Cup I didn't know of this particular story. It's a modestly budgeted film but the intriguing and fantastic story more than makes up for that. I was a bit put off by the relatively low rating (5.6) before I watched it but it's a far far better film than that rating suggests.With a well paced and easy to follow plot it's a touching tale with plenty of weepy moments but also interspersed with great moments of triumph. It has a decent cast and is well acted throughout with a top performances from Brendan Gleeson and Stephen Curry. It maybe is a little slow to get going so you will need a bit of patience at the beginning. However once it hits it's stride it does keep you riveted. The story has all the necessary ingredients this genre needs. Whilst not as good as the brilliant Seabiscuit, this is a very good entry to the genre. If you enjoy these kind of movies then you really can't go wrong watching this.

where's the plot? where's the storyline? where's the directing? where's editing? well, i can easily tell you about this braindead movie, there's none whatsoever you could ever find in this bore-you-to-death movie. i've wasted about 35 minutes trying to figure out what the movie was about and failed, then i have to bail out. i saw there was a presentation of the jockey of the year, then sections of horse race training, then some clueless absolutely irrelevant taxi at the airports, airplanes taking off and landing, some hotel scenes, some absolutely irrelevant ball game attending, lot of meaningless, clueless dialog....blah, blah and blah. of course, there were horse racing segments again and again, but all of these scenes failed to get the audiences connected. i just felt helplessly clueless by watching those boring and aimless conversations between those characters. i was trying very hard to give some depth to this so-called 'the cup' a big deal, but just ended up with lot of ????!!!??? this is one of the worst movies i've ever seen and it's not even qualified for a B movie. i don't know what i'm writing here, because i really don't know what to say, just like the movie itself, absolutely nothing. there are horse movies, there are horse racing movies, but this one is the worst.

Horses have been an important part of director Simon Wincer's oeuvre, with films like The Lighthorsemen to his credit. He has also worked on a number of westerns, like Lonesome Dove for US television. And he has delved into the glamorous world of horse racing before with Phar Lap, his marvellous drama about Australia's greatest racehorse. Thus Wincer is a perfect fit for this stirring story about the 2002 Melbourne Cup. Damian Oliver's triumph while riding Irish horse Media Puzzle was one of the more dramatic and memorable races of recent times. The 2002 race was run just weeks after the Bali bombings, and the nation was still in shock over this callous act of terrorism on our doorstep. And popular jockey Oliver (played by Stephen Curry, from The Castle, etc) was riding Media Puzzle just days after the death of his brother Jason following a track accident. Oliver's victory in overcoming great personal tragedy makes for a great story, and one that deserves to be told. If it wasn't for the fact that it is based on actual events, one could be forgiven for thinking that The Cup was a succession of clichés and melodramatic piffle dreamed up by Hollywood scriptwriters. Oliver's personal journey is compelling stuff, and Wincer unashamedly aims for the tear ducts here. However, there are times when the pace flags and the cluttered narrative overwhelms the emotional substance of Oliver's journey. Unfortunately the film is let down by the occasionally clunky, cliché-ridden screenplay from Wincer and co-writer US journalist Eric O'Keefe. As most of the characters depicted here are still alive, the script painstaking portrays them as essentially decent people. Oliver comes from a horse racing family, as both his grandfather and father were champion jockeys in Western Australia. Oliver's father was killed following an accident when he was just a young boy. In the week before the Melbourne Cup, his older brother Jason (Daniel McPherson, from TV's Wild Boys, etc) is killed following a fall on a racetrack. Oliver finds himself questioning the ill fortune that has dogged his family, and has to make a difficult choice – to give up riding or jump back in the saddle to ride in the race. There are tenuous attempts to link Oliver's courage with that of footballer Jason McCartney, who survived the Bali bombing, which ultimately come across as slightly clumsy and overly manipulative. While Wincer lays on the pathos, Bruce Rowland's swirling score is equally as manipulative. Wincer certainly captures the excitement and glamour of the racing world, and that special atmosphere that surrounds the race that stops a nation. There is plenty of horse racing action, shot by veteran cinematographer David Burr, which adds verisimilitude. A number of local media and sporting personalities contribute brief cameos that adds further authenticity. There are some very good performances. Curry does a great job as Oliver, and his sterling dramatic performance here is every bit as good as his award winning turn as Graham Kennedy in The King. Brendan Gleeson brings charm and warmth to his role as top Irish trainer Dermot Weld, although his performance here lacks the energy and brashness of other recent roles, like the brilliant black comedy The Guard. Shaun Micallef is solid as trainer Lee Freedman, Oliver's friend and mentor. Martin Sacks (from Blue Heelers, etc) doesn't have much to do as Oliver's manager Neil Pinner, but he brings his usual stoic presence to the role. Colleen Hewitt brings surprising emotional depth to her role as Damien's grieving but supportive mother. And the late Bill Hunter makes his final screen appearance here with a walk on role as legendary trainer Bart Cummings, although he makes little impression. The Cup is old-fashioned filmmaking, directed in workmanlike fashion by Wincer. Despite the fact that the outcome is known, Wincer has done a reasonable job of maintaining our interest throughout. It may not be a great film, but The Cup certainly has all the ingredients to be a crowd pleasing and very commercial film. In a solid marketing strategy it has been released to coincide with the Spring Racing Carnival, which should also boost its appeal.

The Cup is based on the true events that happened during the 2008 Melbourne Cup and the dedication, motivation and tragedy of the trainers, jockeys and all those closest to them.It's directed by Simon Wincer who's most familiar pieces of work was Free Willy, The Phantom and Phap Lap.The story is primarily told from the perspective of Damien Oliver and is semi auto biographical. It show's his struggles with the death of his brother who was killed while horse racing only two weeks before the Cup, and the anticipation of all those closest to him as Oliver is faced with the heavy decision, to follow is heart and keep racing or his head and pull out.Stephen Curry is great as Damien Oliver he both acts and looks the part of the famous jockey. His supporting cast includes many well known Australian actors like Shaun Micallef and Daniel MacPherson but its Brendon Gleeson from Harry Potter fame that really give a likable performance.There are a few things that do let this film down. One criticism was the overall feel of the movie which felt like a day time soap opera with cheesy editing, over use of montages and at times poor acting.The major problem for me was the flash back sequence's which showed Damien Oliver's Mother re-live the memories of her Husband's fateful fall off a race horse. Not only were they not needed they were over dramatised and gave it a genuine Neighbour's feel.While may people know who wins the race, the behind the scene's insight into the weeks of preparation it takes to compete in the Cup is very entertaining and the film also does a good job of showing the challenges Damien Oliver had to go through, which I had little knowledge of.