Buck (2011)
Average Rating: 7.5/10
Reviews Counted: 95
Fresh: 84 | Rotten: 11
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 7.6/10
Critic Reviews: 28
Fresh: 24 | Rotten: 4
No consensus yet.
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Average Rating: 4.2/5
User Ratings: 4,052
Movie Info
"Your horse is a mirror to your soul, and sometimes you may not like what you see. Sometimes, you will." So says Buck Brannaman, a true American cowboy and sage on horseback who travels the country for nine grueling months a year helping horses with people problems. BUCK, a richly textured and visually stunning film, follows Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his phenomenally successful approach to horses. A real life "horse-whisperer", he eschews the violence of his upbringing and teaches
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All Critics (96) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (84) | Rotten (11)
If you have even a passing interest in horses, you may find yourself smitten with this meditative doc.
Top CriticCynics beware: Darned tootin', we're home on the range here, where seldom is heard a discouraging word and don't nobody be yappin' that Buck is too good to be true.
Interviews with horse people, Brannaman's very funny, elderly stepmother and director Robert Redford help round out the doc, but all we really need is time with Brannaman, and Meehl doesn't disappoint.
The result is a portrait that expertly mirrors its subject: Buck is shaped with the same economy, restraint, and unfussiness as the man, to unexpectedly inspiring effect.
One of the most valuable things a film can do is to take you to a place or introduce you to a character you haven't encountered before.
It's well and good to hear Buck and others tell his story, but the film wouldn't come to much if you didn't feel the connection between his present and past in every frame.
Essentially a long instructional "horse whispering" video beefed up with Redford hype, underscored with a sad biography...
As enjoyable a documentary as I've seen this past couple of years...
Real life trumps 'reel life' in this fantastic, sweet, personal, human story about this true eccentric character.
There's a whole heap of Americana to wallow in here, but it's testimony to the director and subject that Buck still trots along at such a lick.
An unforgettable film about an extraordinary man.
A straightforward film but one in which Brannaman's gift and modesty shine through.
Singular in style and impressively reflective of its protagonist's nature. Universal in theme, but may struggle to find a wide audience.
Entertaining and emotionally engaging documentary with a powerful, important message delivered by an immensely likeable central character.
A touching, if occasionally overwrought look at the inspiration behind Robert Redford's Horse Whisperer.
Breaking the cycle of abuse, Buck's deep-rooted respect for these dignified animals is truly inspiring.
It would be a very hard-hearted person indeed who would not warm to the gentle charms of ... this low-key, fondly personal look at one of life's gifted but hardly world-famous personages.
Imagine the Dude from The Big Lebowski if he had been raised on a dude ranch.
The great pleasure of this film is that we meet Buck the man as well as Buck the horseman; it's a rounded and balanced doco, a rich, complex, miniature biopic of Buck who bucked his fate
I was entranced and intensely moved by this marvellous and unforgettable documentary
Meehl seems entirely smitten by her subject matter...and her blind adoration is a double-edged sword, imbuing her film with tremendous warmth but also nullifying any hint of objectivity.
As we see in Cindy Meehl's terrific documentary Buck, the rugged, plain-spoken Brannaman comes by his knowledge the hard way.
A bit stretched as far as its point is concerned.
Audience Reviews for Buck
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Buck, Himself: Nobody's here to hurt you.
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- Buck, Himself: Rather than helping people with horse problems, I'm helping horses with people problems.
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Movie: ID: 771224186 Title: Buck Release Date: 2011-06-17 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 2 Status: 1
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Foreign Titles
- Buck - Der wahre Pferdeflüsterer (DE)
