The Racer. (12A.)
Directed by Kieron J. Walsh.
Starring Louis Talpe, Iain Glen, Tara Lee, Matteo Simoni and Karel Roden. In cinemas from December 18th. 96 mins.
This is a film about self-obsessed, egotistical cyclists. Ok, let's narrow that down just a little. Not the usual sanctimonious, wibbly-wobbly, road hogs but elite, drug cheating, Tour de France sanctimonious, wibbly-wobbly, road hogs. In Ireland.
In 1998 the Tour started out in Ireland and according to the onscreen prologue would become a low point in the Tour's history due to a series of doping scandals. This Irish drama chooses to tell a fictional story about an ageing Belgium cyclist Dom (Talpe.) At 39 he's still hanging on in there as a support rider, a domestique, helping the team's star rider (Simoni) to win and knocking back the perfromance boosting EPOs.
The cycling sequences have a bit of visual dash to them but, despite compelling performances from Talpe and Glen, the story is a bit of an uninspiring slog. Where the film really scores though is as a sporting procedural, exposing the rigmarole of cheating and just how much work goes into it. The doped, bulimic, primadonna cyclists are like fashion models with a treadmill instead of a catwalk. It's a joyless existence full of pain and deprivation but they put themselves through it for the glory and attention of being in the circus. The film presents the Tour as another of those cruel, ugly, joyless spectacles that they go in for on the continent - like bullfighting but with less dignity.
Directed by Kieron J. Walsh.
Starring Louis Talpe, Iain Glen, Tara Lee, Matteo Simoni and Karel Roden. In cinemas from December 18th. 96 mins.
This is a film about self-obsessed, egotistical cyclists. Ok, let's narrow that down just a little. Not the usual sanctimonious, wibbly-wobbly, road hogs but elite, drug cheating, Tour de France sanctimonious, wibbly-wobbly, road hogs. In Ireland.
In 1998 the Tour started out in Ireland and according to the onscreen prologue would become a low point in the Tour's history due to a series of doping scandals. This Irish drama chooses to tell a fictional story about an ageing Belgium cyclist Dom (Talpe.) At 39 he's still hanging on in there as a support rider, a domestique, helping the team's star rider (Simoni) to win and knocking back the perfromance boosting EPOs.
The cycling sequences have a bit of visual dash to them but, despite compelling performances from Talpe and Glen, the story is a bit of an uninspiring slog. Where the film really scores though is as a sporting procedural, exposing the rigmarole of cheating and just how much work goes into it. The doped, bulimic, primadonna cyclists are like fashion models with a treadmill instead of a catwalk. It's a joyless existence full of pain and deprivation but they put themselves through it for the glory and attention of being in the circus. The film presents the Tour as another of those cruel, ugly, joyless spectacles that they go in for on the continent - like bullfighting but with less dignity.
