REVIEW - Don’t Bet the Horse you Rode in On (Cole Brakebill)

Don’t Bet the Horse you Rode in On is a short film which was written, produced, directed by and stars only one man - Cole Brakebill. Cole, originally from New Mexico, later studied music production in Texas (the latter also being the state where this film is set and our story takes place), which evidently shows as there is a strong musical aspect to the storytelling here, as our protagonist, Morris Bellinger, a lone traveller (minus his steed) rambles through a vast and desolate landscape en route to a cattle market, his journey punctuated by interludes where he pauses to read letters from Uncle C.Y. in scarce patches of shade amid the dust and sun-baked rocks.

The viewer hears the voices of each letter's author narrate over country music, which at times creates a vibe not dissimilar to a Johnny Cash music video. Each letter gives us insight into Morris' relationship with his Uncle, as well as the struggles they are facing in their lives, and it becomes clear that Uncle C.Y. is to Morris, somewhat of a role model, father figure and someone who serves up nuggets of wisdom and advice - one piece of which he has failed to heed:

"Don't bet the horse you rode in on, when you know you're gonna need to ride out."

And so here we learn that the very situation in which Morris finds himself, is one which Uncle C.Y. had specifically warned of. A combination of close-up shots, wide shots, and aerial drone footage convey the urgency of Morris' predicament, as well as the sheer vastness of the barren and inhospitable landscape in which he is seemingly lost. Shade, water, comfort and hope are in little supply, and Uncle C.Y.'s words of wisdom weigh heavy on the mind as Morris gets more and more desperate and panicked.

The storytelling in this short Western is rather effective considering we only see one character and hear disembodied voices delivering externalised monologues, but that said, perhaps this aspect could have been elevated with the use of a flashback sequence; however, the letters do work as a narrative tool to get us from A to B.

Ultimately, by the end of the film, Morris learns a tough lesson, and there is a definite air of tragedy about this tale which is befitting the style and genre of this gritty short.

The filming location lends itself very well to the film, and is absolutely convincing, and whilst careful thought has gone into the Morris' wardrobe, this is far less fitting - with our protagonist's clothing appearing a little too polished and perhaps mass-produced, almost as if this cowboy bought his entire outfit from a sale in Walmart. This is stands out even further with the apparant aging and distressed appearance of Morris' jacket in particular looking way too artificial to suspend my disbelief, even for a moment.

That said, there is a lot of creativity on show here, and kudos goes to Brakebill for delivering what is, despite its flaws, an engaging and stylish short film. As a short film, Don’t Bet the Horse you Rode in On is a testament to what can be acheived with a low budget, and a lot of creativity and the drive to tell a story.

5/10.