Shot in just 32 days in Ayshire and Germany, TFS tells the true story of Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree, who battled against mental illness to break the world one hour speed record on a homemade bike fashioned out of old washing machine parts.
When his bike shop went bust in the early 90s Obree decided to take one last shot at becoming a professional cyclist, but due to a lack of funding was unable to afford the necessary equipment to compete with the best in the business.
As such, he designed “Old Faithful” - a revolutionary new bike that made the most of a unique aerodynamic riding posture known as the “Crouch” - and finally achieved his dream of breaking the world record in July 1993.
Amazingly, however, his time was then beaten only a week later by Chris Boardman and changes in the law books meant that Old Faithful was banned from future competitions.
Undaunted, Obree set about designing another bike - which made use of his revolutionary “Superman Position” - and travelled to Bordeaux the following year for one last shot at glory…
They say:
Empire: “A typically engaging performance from Johnny Lee Miller takes this slightly above the usual underdog movie cliche.”
Total Film: “A paucity of pedal power and an abundance of cliché make this Jock on a bike yarn an uphill climb from false start to weak finish.”
Channel 4: “An engaging mix of sports movie and psychological drama that rises above the routine enough times to excuse some of its more predictable moments.”
We say:
Anyone who saw last year’s enjoyable “World’s Fastest Indian” (Anthony Hopkins breaking the world land speed record on a homemade motorbike) will know pretty much what to expect from this traditional underdog success story. Quirky characters, battles with officialdom and a satisfyingly uplifting finale all adhere to the standard against all odds sports format.
Where TFS differs, however, is in the darker sub plot involving Obree’s mental illness - he suffered from a bipolar disorder - and Johnny Lee Miller deserves credit for his best performance since Trainspotting. Is it a coincidence that he played Scotsmen in both?
Brian Cox also puts in a typically accomplished turn as Douglas Baxter, the church minister who helps Graeme overcome various hurdles and Billy “Hobbit” Boyd is a lively presence as the cyclist’s friend and manager (an amalgam of characters from Obree’s real life).
First time director Douglas Mackinnon also does a fine job, injecting the crucial race sequences with plenty of excitement and tension, no mean feat in such a predictable narrative.
Chariots of Fire it certainly ain’t but on a tour of recent sports movies TFS would claim a healthy spot in the middle of the pack.
Extras:
Just a handful of trailers for other films. A shame.
CAST
Jonny Lee Miller
Billy Boyd
Laura Fraser
Brian Cox
Morven Christie
Niall Fulton
Steven Berkoff
DIRECTOR
Douglas Mackinnon
TIME
105 mins
POSTED...
Mon 2 Jul 2007 at 4:10pm
