overlap

I'm by no means a frequent cinema-goer or film buff, and it's probably just as well that I don't have a collection of DVDs to rival my hundreds of CDs. Saying that, I have recently seen The Flying Scotsman, which is the film version of the Graeme Obree story - see the title link for more on Obree. The drive to reach those kind of world record feats is something I struggle to relate to, and I'm sure my own efforts to overcome the traditional family temperamental and competitive traits that make that sort of thing easier have made my life drastically less fraught, and more settled than might otherwise have been the case. Regardless of exactly what the records books show, with and without all the interference and goalpost moving shenanigans targeted specifically at Obree and his riding position, the world's a far better place for that particularly single-minded sort of invention and willingness to experiment. As to the film, it's clear that it's something based on a story rather than a strict documentary account, but Jonny Lee Miller is excellent and the story it tells is pretty effectively told and filmed. I wish Obree himself the best of continued mental health, there's no doubt he's been through more than enough already. And if you haven't seen it, I thoroughly recommend it.

Labels: cycling, film, Flying Scotsman, Graeme Obree