"THE FLYING SCOTSMAN"
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MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Jonny Lee Miller as GRAEME OBREE Billy Boyd as MALKY Laura Fraser as ANNE OBREE Brian Cox as DOUGLAS BAXTER Rated PG-13 Studio: 20th Century Fox Directed by Douglas Mackinnon |
Scotsman Graeme Obree is an accomplished cyclist whose bike shop has been run out of business. It is perhaps this obstacle which inspired Obree to attempt the one-hour world record. In order to do so, Obree decided to design an entirely new and faster bike.
Once the Obree bike has been designed, Graeme, his wife Anne and his manager Malkey follow Obree through his ups and downs as he tries for world records and national championships.
While the theme of the “Flying Scotsman” is mainly sports-related, the film also touches on issues of depression and the challenges such a condition presents for a man in a win-lose career.
While only 96 minutes long, the film seems to last twice that length. Because it is based on actual events, the film has not clear climax and leaves the viewer wondering just when it will end. On the whole, however, the film is well-performed and truly interesting.
Unfortunately, “The Flying Scotsman” does nothing but disappoint when it comes to bonus features. Three trailers for other movies are available, but that’s it.
"BEYOND THE GATES"
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MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) STARRING John Hurt as CHRISTOPHER Hugh Dancy as JOE CONNER Rated R Studio: 20th Century Fox Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones |
Released the year following “Hotel Rwanda”, one might feel a sensation of deja vu akin to the “Capote”-“Infamous” film releases. Both “Beyond the Gates” and “Hotel Rwanda” take place during the 1994 Tutsi massacre, and both focus on a refugee camp.
A young white teacher, Joe Conner, and a white Catholic priest by the name of Christopher are the focus of “Beyond the Gates”. The two find themselves among Tutsi refugees at the school facility protected by United Nations officers. The refugee camp and all present are subject to the same obstacles as those who were holed up at the Hotel des Mille Collines (“Hotel Rwanda”): The UN cannot open fire against the Hutu without being fired upon; necessities lying outside the camp can only be accessed at great peril; and the outside world will not intervene.
“Hotel Rwanda” and “Beyond the Gates” are equally gruesome, but this film ends more tragically.
The performances are heart-breaking and gut-wrenching, as can be imagined, but the Rwandan tragedy is not something the average moviegoer needs to see more than once. If one is looking to further educate himself on the Rwandan topic, he will learn nothing more from “Beyond the Gates” than the events at another refugee camp.
Bonus features on the DVD include a message from the International Rescue Committee, commentaries with the director and writer and producer, and the theatrical trailer.
