When the news came in for the release of The Racer from Vertigo Releasing I was intrigued by not only the idea of a film based around the fast passed world of cycling but also how the film would play out.
In summer 1998, the opening stages of Le Tour de France are relocated to Ireland. At the start of what will likely be his last Tour, cyclist Dom Chabol (Louis Talpe) is dropped from the Team he has dedicated his life to. Team masseur and best friend Sonny (Iain Glen), who helped keep Dom at peak performance through illegal blood doping, fails to reassure him about his future.
However a chance liaison with Lynn (Tara Lee), a young Irish doctor, softens the blow, and Dom starts to accept – and even enjoy – the idea of civilian life. But just as he gears up to head home, another teammate is knocked off the Tour and Dom is thrown back into the saddle. Now with the years of doping having taken a toll on his body, the racer may pay the ultimate price for a final shot at the glory that has eluded him his entire career…
I have to start by saying I’m not a fan of the Tour de France and have only caught glimpses of it when it’s on TV, but with The Racer, the cycling is not the focal point that really boils down to the characters of the story as they train for the race and battle through the ups and downs to the main race.
When Dominique Chabol (Talpe) is cut from the team he hits a rough patch to where destroys his racing bike and starts change with his attitude towards everything, his passion for the sport is put to the test, but surprisingly he is reinstated back into the race but as a ‘domestique’ which is a support rider, now it’s down to Dom to be the rider that sets the pace for the team leader Lupo ‘Tartare’ Marino (Matteo Simoni) to help him win and get the yellow jersey.
With Dom now a ‘domestique’ and not being at the top of the team, the stress starts to show as his regime changes.
The Racer moves along nicely and I found myself getting pulled in to the story, the fictional story of the ups and downs of Talpe’s character kept me interested in the film, his nightmare sequence of never getting up the hill to the finish line is nicely done and takes the character into the terror of a cardiac arrest, which only goes to show the strain that is put on a racer’s body.
The Racer is an eye-opening look at the world of sports cycling, the dark humour breaks the seriousness of the film and releases the tension that you feel from time to time as the racers take on not only the punishment to their bodies from the race but also the scrutiny of the authorities that check them for blood doping.
There is some excellent cinematography from James Mather (Lockout) as the cameras fly over the riders and the shots of them in the rolling landscapes of the winding roads as they race along.
The Racer Exclusive Clip
I thoroughly enjoyed The Racer, the mix of the excellent cinematography, a nicely done heart beating soundtrack with the racing scenes and cast that work well together on the screen, The Racer is a film that takes us on a journey of a riders ambition and determination.
The Racer is an eye-opening look at the world of sports cycling
Movie title: The Racer (2020)
Movie description: The Racer follows a rider who, after being dropped from the team, is reinstated following a doping error.
Date published: December 18, 2020
Country: UK
Duration: 1h 35min
Director(s): Kieron J. Walsh
Actor(s): Louis Talpe, Matteo Simoni, Tara Lee
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Sport
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
