What can a man do when he sets his eyes on something and backs it up with everything he has got? Its people like Graeme Obree who keep giving us answers to such questions. TFS is a tribute to Obree's superhuman determination and physical-limits-defying accomplishments. Its an inspiring work of cinema and did well in showing the viewers what Obree had to go through on his arduous journey.
For me, this movie could have been so much more. There were some high points but some factors just pulled the movie down. The highlight of this movie were a few aspects of the direction by Douglas Mackinnon. The plot was honest & all about the protagonist, Graeme Obree. Obree's personal characteristics & his ingredients for success were aptly on display - raw grit, determination, stubborn, hard-headed, persevering, the hours & hours of practice, the unending sweat. The small things were nicely shown - race to earn that extra 100 bucks, orange & sugar sandwich to provide his body more sugar, "banana" principle for measuring the distance between legs, his exercise routine. Douglas Mackinnon was successful in showing these various aspects of Obree's life and bringing it all together for the viewer. A small mention here to the background music, especially in the first half. Whenever that specific instrumental music was played, it brought about a sense of hope and the thought that either Obree will come up with a new idea or something magical from Obree would follow. Pumped up the tempo !
But the same direction & maybe sheer laziness at it, left me asking for more. I would have liked it better if more time was spent on the primary two things which were different about Obree - cycle and his position. After all, these two things were instrumental for Obree's success. I needed to understand that how can a bicycle made from washing machine parts compete with a bike made by a computer and costed half a million? Though I would not have understood the technicalities, but if the laws of physics (as applied on Obree's bike) were explained in the movie in layman's language, it would have added to the AWE factor. I still don't know why & how Obree arrived at his first cycling position and then to the superman position (was it just the box in the fridge?)
Another low point in the movie and direction/screenplay was the lack of time spent on building up Obree's character. Obree's mental health status could have been delved into in a better & detailed manner. Would have given the viewer a better perspective as to why he tried to commit suicide. I could just guess that his championship loss coupled with his disturbed frame of mind (owing to his childhood bully-memories) led him to end his life. The contrast of the character puzzled me - on one hand, this guy had superhuman grit and perseverance, and on the other hand he was easily disturbed when his childhood bully (now an adult) insults him on the loss of championship.
Jonny Lee Miller was a revelation in the movie. He aptly portrayed what Obree had to go through to achieve what he did. I am sure he could have handled a much more complex Obree's character.
Summary - TFS was a good watch. It wasn't exactly an underdog story but Obree had to fight for all his achievements. All such stories have a feel-good factor attached to them and when all the cinematic aspects come together to create a good piece of cinema, it leaves the viewer with a nice sense of the protagonist's achievement. TFS had some good parts but sadly, it wasn't inspirational. I think the confusion was whether the team wanted to make a sports movie or good dramatic cinema. It came close to both. 7 out of 10 for me.
For me, this movie could have been so much more. There were some high points but some factors just pulled the movie down. The highlight of this movie were a few aspects of the direction by Douglas Mackinnon. The plot was honest & all about the protagonist, Graeme Obree. Obree's personal characteristics & his ingredients for success were aptly on display - raw grit, determination, stubborn, hard-headed, persevering, the hours & hours of practice, the unending sweat. The small things were nicely shown - race to earn that extra 100 bucks, orange & sugar sandwich to provide his body more sugar, "banana" principle for measuring the distance between legs, his exercise routine. Douglas Mackinnon was successful in showing these various aspects of Obree's life and bringing it all together for the viewer. A small mention here to the background music, especially in the first half. Whenever that specific instrumental music was played, it brought about a sense of hope and the thought that either Obree will come up with a new idea or something magical from Obree would follow. Pumped up the tempo !
But the same direction & maybe sheer laziness at it, left me asking for more. I would have liked it better if more time was spent on the primary two things which were different about Obree - cycle and his position. After all, these two things were instrumental for Obree's success. I needed to understand that how can a bicycle made from washing machine parts compete with a bike made by a computer and costed half a million? Though I would not have understood the technicalities, but if the laws of physics (as applied on Obree's bike) were explained in the movie in layman's language, it would have added to the AWE factor. I still don't know why & how Obree arrived at his first cycling position and then to the superman position (was it just the box in the fridge?)
Another low point in the movie and direction/screenplay was the lack of time spent on building up Obree's character. Obree's mental health status could have been delved into in a better & detailed manner. Would have given the viewer a better perspective as to why he tried to commit suicide. I could just guess that his championship loss coupled with his disturbed frame of mind (owing to his childhood bully-memories) led him to end his life. The contrast of the character puzzled me - on one hand, this guy had superhuman grit and perseverance, and on the other hand he was easily disturbed when his childhood bully (now an adult) insults him on the loss of championship.
Jonny Lee Miller was a revelation in the movie. He aptly portrayed what Obree had to go through to achieve what he did. I am sure he could have handled a much more complex Obree's character.
Summary - TFS was a good watch. It wasn't exactly an underdog story but Obree had to fight for all his achievements. All such stories have a feel-good factor attached to them and when all the cinematic aspects come together to create a good piece of cinema, it leaves the viewer with a nice sense of the protagonist's achievement. TFS had some good parts but sadly, it wasn't inspirational. I think the confusion was whether the team wanted to make a sports movie or good dramatic cinema. It came close to both. 7 out of 10 for me.