The Cup (2011 film)

The Cup is a 2011 Australian biographical film about the 2002 Melbourne Cup race, won by the Dermot Weld trained Media Puzzle. And is directed by Simon Wincer.[1] It is about Damien Oliver's victory in the 2002 Melbourne Cup.[2] This was Bill Hunter's final film before his death.

The Cup
Theatrical film poster
Directed bySimon Wincer
Produced byJan Bladier
Lance Hool
David Lee
Simon Wincer
Screenplay byEric O'Keefe
Simon Wincer
Based on2002 Melbourne Cup
StarringBrendan Gleeson
Stephen Curry
Daniel MacPherson
Jodi Gordon
Martin Sacks
Shaun Micallef
Bill Hunter
Colleen Hewett
Tom Burlinson
Music byBruce Rowland
CinematographyDavid Burr
Production
company
Screen Australia
Sliver Lion Films
Film Victoria
Myriad Pictures
Ingenious Broadcasting
Horizon Films
Distributed byRoadshow Films
Release date
  • 13 October 2011 (2011-10-13)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

Plot

The Melbourne Cup is called The Race That Stops a Nation, but never in the history of Australia's 150-year-old Thoroughbred Classic has there been so dramatic a contest as the 2002 running. The Cup follows the world's finest horsemen as they plot their paths across the globe - from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia - and into the Winners Circle of the richest and most prestigious two-mile handicap. But the heart of this true story is a young Australian jockey, Damien Oliver, who loses his only brother in a tragic racing accident just days before the great race. To make matters worse, the same fate claimed Damien and Jason Oliver's father decades before. Following his brother's death, Damien suffers through an almost endless series of discouraging defeats only to triumph on one of sport's greatest stages in one of the most thrilling finales in all of sport.

Cast

Reception

The Cup received mixed to negative reviews, currently holding a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 26%.

Joe Leydon of Variety gave a positive review, saying "Although it canters down a well-trod path toward a predictable finish line, The Cup sustains interest through the smooth efficiency of its storytelling and the engaging performances of its lead players." Sandra Hall of the Sydney Morning Herald called it "a shamelessly old-fashioned picture but if you like horses and fancy cantering off into the land of wish-fulfilment for a couple of hours, why not?"

Luke Buckmaster of Crikey.com gave a negative review, saying "Director Simon Wincer was not the right person to avoid certain temptations, like dunking the audience's noggins into a honey pot of clichés." Mike McGranaghan of Aisle Seat thought the film was a "pleasant-enough viewing experience. At the same time, I was never as riveted as I have been by other, similarly-themed films. It makes you feel good without ever truly stirring the soul."

See also

References
  1. Smith, Ian Hayden (2012). International Film Guide 2012. p. 65. ISBN 978-1908215017.
  2. "The Cup". Cupmovie.com.au. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
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