(Rated R, 106 min.)
Opens Feb. 4
Based on Sam Shepard’s play, “Simpatico” was adapted for the screen by Matthew Warchus and co-writer David Nicholls. In the opening stretch, Lyle Carter (Jeff Bridges) seems to have it all. A handsome millionaire with a beautiful wife, Rosie (Sharon Stone), and a sprawling estate in Kentucky, Carter has built an empire breeding and training thoroughbred horses.
In the process of selling one of his prize stallions, Simpatico, Carter receives a call from Vinnie (Nick Nolte), a voice from the past. Previously involved in a racing scam, the resurfaced Nolte brings new game to a high-stakes story that will follow through a deceptive climax, right to the finish line.
Also starring Albert Finney, this dream cast is better than any trifecta ticket. Still, it’s the horse who seems to be carrying more symbolic weight than its movie’s characters.