Jappeloup

2013·France·130 min.
Jappeloup
5.9
480 votes
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At the start of the 1980s, Pierre Durand abandons a promising legal career and throws himself into his true passion, showjumping. With his father's backing, he gambles everything on a young horse in whom no one else had any faith: Jappeloup. Too small, too stubborn, too impetuous, he has many faults, but also a remarkable jumping ability. From competition to competition, the pair improve and begin to make their mark on the showjumping world. But the Los Angeles Olympic Games are a disaster for them, and Pierre has to face up to their shortcomings. With the help of his wife Nadia and groom Raphaëlle, Pierre regains Jappeloup's confidence and builds a rider-horse relationship that's needed for victory. The 1988 Olympics are coming up in Seoul... "Like his on-screen counterpart, (Guillaume) Canet’s family were horse breeders, and he trained as a show jumper before he gravitated toward acting. Yes, that’s Canet performing the stunts in the many jumping sequences. He also wrote the screenplay... The drama really takes off during the competitions... Even if you’re not an equestrian, this is a knuckle-biter." -- Kent Turner (Film-Forward)