58
Metascore
6 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceDirector Benjamin Marquet mingles black-and-white footage of students past with that of his current focus - three 14-year-olds in their first year of a jockey apprenticeship - to build a sense of specificity and continuum into a timeless passage.
- By giving the boys onscreen room to be goofy and immature, Marquet makes the film something warmer than a formal study in discipline and being made to grow up before their time.
- 63Slant MagazineSlant MagazineHalf-formed expressions of disappointment, hope, struggle, confusion, and boyish playfulness on faces otherwise marked by youth's inexperience, and a self-consciousness brought on by the curiosity of being filmed, constitute the most memorable moments of Lads & Jockeys, a documentary on 14-year-old aspiring jockeys in France.
- 60The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisLads & Jockeys conveys first-race terrors and last-place humiliation with indulgent thoroughness.
- 40New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanRacing enthusiasts will appreciate historical footage, while a thread about a new student overwhelmed by his responsibilities has promise. But after a decent start, Marquet stumbles, never making it across the finish line.