On Tap - Part II

Ever since I saw the trailer for the movie The Flying Scotsman online, I've been anxiously awaiting its debut. Well the wait is finally over, so go check it out. Our friends over at the movie's official website, www.theflyingscotsmanmovie.com, have sent us the initial reviews, which may be enticement enough to get you indoors from this gorgeous weather.

04.05.2007 - James Snyder - The New York Sun: "screenwriters John Brown, Declan Hughes, and Simon Rose turn those rules upside down in a third act that is less a celebration of celebrity than a sobering look at the costs that accompany it...there are flashes of brilliance here. Director Douglas Mackinnon's racing footage, which cuts between a telescopic technique that offers the vantage point of the spectators and a closely mounted camera that shows Graeme's tunnel vision from the racetrack, is riveting...The Flying Scotsman" is the rare film that stays with its hero after the gold medal is placed around his neck and the chase for glory has come to an end."

04.05.2007 - Bill Zwecker - Chicago Sun-Times "Turmoil and victory meet in remarkable 'Scotsman'" and "Miller is a revelation here...Unlike so many motion pictures, where all forms of mental illness are interpreted by over-the-top acting, Miller's approach is far more realistic and likely similar to the true fight that millions face with this wide-spread affliction worldwide...Even for audiences who normally would not be interested in cycling, "The Flying Scotsman" is a good choice, because this film is about so much more."

04.05.2007 - Tom Keogh - Seattle Times - ""The Flying Scotsman's" inspirational tale sends spirits soaring" and "Jonny Lee Miller ("Trainspotting") is enormously sympathetic and appealing as Obree"

04.05.2007 - Kyle Smith - New York Post: "The Flying Scotsman" is different. It's an underdog story with teeth...the movie is refreshing in its suggestion that even victory may not cure every ailment"

04.05.2007 - Sarah Kaufman - Washington Post:" a classic tale of the heroic little guy that goes beyond the sport of cycling, told with elegant restraint in this sensitive and beautifully rendered film...Miller is key to the film's success, with his earnest, sweet-faced looks and evident dark side. He plays Obree with just the right understated intensity, a believable competitor who fights back fiercely with his wits and a few tight-lipped words."

03.05.2007 - John P. McCarthy - Catholic News Service: "Obree's bouts with depression prevent this film from being just a sentimental movie with a formulaic outcome. Director Douglas Mackinnon uses his subject's troubled psyche to generate suspense; and the cyclist's friendship with a Protestant minister, the Rev. Douglas Baxter (Brian Cox), lends a subtle religious dimension...Exemplifying the movie's good taste and sensitivity, lovely music and scenery don't overwhelm the central plight of this lionhearted athlete."

03.05.2007 - Michael Wilmington - Chicago Tribune: "Mackinnon, a TV star director making his theatrical feature debut here, has a flair for pace, colour and performances. The writing is more heartfelt than usual for a movie like this; one of the writers, Rose, has been working on the project for 12 years. "The Flying Scotsman," like many movie bios, invents some characters and plays with the truth, though not too much. But the movie, which endured a few bumps and trials of its own on its path to the screen, tells a tale both fast and moving. And when Miller as Obree takes his whirls around the track, it gets your heart pumping and your blood up".