Fastest The Movie

Jumkie said:

Bump



Just finished watching this movie. What a ....... joke! Basically, if you were too take the most rabid Rossi fan, and have him make a movie, they would produce this movie. This is nothing more than a 2 hour homage to Rossi. NOTHING MORE. 95% of every vid clip, sound bike, interview, is about Rossi. The entire story told, is 100% about him. I wouldn't mind watching a biography if I knew going in it was a biography of a rider I, but this .... is marketed as if its a movie about MotoGP, WHICH IT IS NOT.



I actually had a chance to meet the director this last Sunday, but I hadn't seen the movie yet, just the trailer. But even then I wanted to ask him when he planned to be honest about the title and marketing of his Rossi biography movies. He's lucky I hadn't seen the entire movie, or I would have called him out in public. Two hours wasted. Again, if I want to pic up a book made into a movie about Rossi, let me decide if its worth it, instead of sucking me and surely many more into thinking this was a movie about the sport. ....... liars!



Every significant moment of Valentino's life and racing career is revisited, but told in a slant and gorss bias that makes everybody else the villain and Rossi the hero.



If you want to watch a movie made by a bopper for boppers, this movie is for you!



I sat through the whole thing, but after about 20 minutes, I realized this movie would maintain its extreme Rossi-centric theme. I sat through it until the end because it is such a significant production from the sport. When will somebody make a movie about the sport of MotoGP? Probably never.



Fastest, the movie should be renamed, simply another biography of Valentino Rossi. I can't help but think that this ideology is what has bankrupted the sport today. The sport was too blinded and star struck to realize it had run into an iceberg.

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So that explains where talpa's been.....I look forward to seeing it.

Baffy said:

Jum got it 100% right, I watched this about a week ago.



I was fairly pissed when I watched it, but im fairly sure that one of the last lines is "In 2013 Rossi will be competing to win his x-number title" Basically stating Rossi WOULD win the '11 and '12 titles

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Like Tom I found it enjoyable, as did my other half who is an out and out Stoner fan. We'd heard that it was "all about Rossi" and whilst he was prominent in the film, for us it was about the probable changing of the guard from Rossi to the younger guns. Yes, that was said in 2006/7, but then 2008/9 happened, hence the word "probable", but he's 5 years older going into 2012.



That premise (of the changing of the guard), by necessity makes it quite a lot about Rossi. Plus if the premise is correct it's probably the last chance Neale will get to make a film about him. Follow the money !!



Who knows what the future brings, but I liked the final lines of the film which are transcribed below with no alcohol intake



Ewan McGregor says this at the end:

How many more races, how many more championships can he win?



Back in 1977 Giacomo Agostini walked away from Grand Prix racing after 14 seasons, unscathed and untouchable. In 2012 as he chases Agostini's record of eight premier class championships, and 122 Grand Prix victories, Valentino Rossi will be entering his 17th year in MotoGP. But for every year you push your bike and your body to the limit, you push your luck to the limit as well. You can't be the fastest for ever, and when the red lights go out, nobody's looking back. The past is behind you and there's only one question... Who's fastest now?

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He also says the last 4 sentences before the start of the coverage of the 2010 season starts, ie after Catalunya.



He says 2012 and 8th title at the end as when the film was finalised it was known that Rossi was having a terrible season in 2011 and could not even challenge for wins let alone the WC.



For me the point of the film is in the final 3 lines -



"You can't be the fastest for ever" ie is it now over for Rossi - should he have retired in 2009 at the top like Ago did? But, as he says, he'll do it till he stops having the passion for racing.



"and when the red lights go out, nobody's looking back" ie the likes of Lorenzo and Stoner don't care who is behind them on track, only that they are.



"The past is behind you and there's only one question... Who's fastest now?" ie no matter how many races or World Championships Ago and Rossi et al have won, what matters is who's winning them now.

mylexicon said:

Just wait until Rossi wins another title, then you'll get to see Still Fastest



Thanks for the heads up.

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Of course, should that happen. Whilst the Rossi fans are still there to buy it why should Neale not "follow the money"



Mind you, see my previous post too.

I saw Fastest about 10 days ago, during its limited run here in the cinema. I thought it was okay, but nothing special. Really, it was just a continuation of the earlier stuff--even some of the background about Rossi looked re-used.



I thought the opening about Catalunya 2009 was excellent, and it was new (for me, at least) to hear Rossi talking about how close he came to crashing in that last corner pass (which surely would've taken Lorenzo down as well; I guess ambition doesn't always outweigh talent!). But after that, it kind of meandered all over the place, going over a lot of the same old ground. I think Mark Neale had it in mind to base his documentary on 2010 as a "titanic battle" between Rossi and Lorenzo, only he lost his big star to injury, and had to pad things out, and build up Rossi's great comeback out of proportion. De Puniet also broke his leg that season and made an equally astonishingly quick return, but we don't get about hear about that. Lorenzo gets a fair bit of screen time, but it did seem odd that in the Sepang 2010 footage the focus was on Rossi the race winner, not the new WC Lorenzo.



Still, there were some interesting titbits: Hayden, talking about 'his boy,' Elias, was funny. Pedrosa had some interesting stuff to say, and the quote that "I want to be world champion one day, but if it doesn't happen it will be because I wasn't good enough" was revealing. Stoner only spoke briefly, and it was mostly about Laguna 2008; talking about the corkscrew incident, "Rossi was friggin' lucky he didn't pitch himself over the handlebars, and put me in the wall," is the typically blunt and abrasive Casey we've all come to love, but his claim that "a lot of stuff happened at the back of the circuit, that wasn't picked up by the cameras" seems pretty weak. Marco being Marco was 'great TV' as always, but all the more poignant because of his passing.



All in all, it's worthwhile watching (is IS about MotoGP, after all), but there is a noticeable focus on Rossi that feels awkward, especially in the light of the 2011 season.

The plot is so convoluted and confusing, only a hardcore GP fan could really appreciate it. It's like a documentary about MotoGP events, but it doesn't follow chronological order. It's personality driven, but it doesn't move through the MotoGP personalities, it jumps around randomly. Maybe you only notice if you're a hardcore fan?

mylexicon said:

The plot is so convoluted and confusing, only a hardcore GP fan could really appreciate it. It's like a documentary about MotoGP events, but it doesn't follow chronological order. It's personality driven, but it doesn't move through the MotoGP personalities, it jumps around randomly. Maybe you only notice if you're a hardcore fan?

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That sums it up pretty well. I just finished it and often found myself wondering how the film had come to certain parts. They arrive at Sachsenring but them there's a break to discuss how everyone got started in racing. Great footage, great interviews, but it seemed to lack direction. As Sun pointed out, perhaps this was the best Neale could do considering Rossi went missing for six weeks.

Austin said:

That sums it up pretty well. I just finished it and often found myself wondering how the film had come to certain parts. They arrive at Sachsenring but them there's a break to discuss how everyone got started in racing. Great footage, great interviews, but it seemed to lack direction. As Sun pointed out, perhaps this was the best Neale could do considering Rossi went missing for six weeks.

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Hahaha, perhaps buddy. But Neale should have then realized his mistake and started making a movie about the sport rather than one man...perhaps a lesson Dorna failed to learn too.



Imagine i made a movie about soccer, i mean, football, and proceeded to make a movie who's storyline revolved entirely around Cristiano Ronald. Showed his best performances, interviewed his teammates, interviewed his parents, his doctor, his rivals about him, hell, even shopkeepers in Cristiano's hometown. Would u feel satisfied that the movie coverred and showcased the sport properly?



(Btw, i would have said Leonel Messi, but i understand he's still the 'current' best player? And even if u replaced his name above, it still might have left u equally satisfied.)



Austin, the best example i can give u is this, imagine i made a movie about the AMA and spent the entire story about Matt Mladin. 95% of footage from his best performances, the 5% of footage not of Mladin presented in a context about Mladin. Knowing what u know about the AMA, Mladin having won a string of titles on undoutedly the best package, the most succesful rider in the series, who basically had to beat his teammate, which Spies did. Now two years removed, and ur boy Josh Hayes winning the last two titles, a modern movie take about the AMA surrounding Mladin might leave an equal feeling of ........ as i felt.



Tom said, well, the movie isnt that bad and it shouldnt bother u it had Rossi on the screen and story all the time, etc. Yeah, no ...., but as a film proported about 'the sport', this movie failed miserably as it was ONLY about one man's experience about the sport. It would be like making a movie about NBA, and it be all about Jordan, or golf and all about Tiger, or boxing and all about Tyson. Austin, how much would u enjoy a movie about American baseball, then watched a movie where 99% of it was about the Yankies?



I find it sad that we are so desperate for movies about our sport that we are willing to stomach anything we are fed. What choice do we have, right? Again, im glad i didnt pay a dime for this movie (had i purchased it, i would have been pissed, i hate being lied to). Lifted from torrents, and have already erased from my hard drive to make space. If dude would have titled it 'a fairwell homage to Rossi', i might have purchased it and kept in my library to show again, however, as it stands, i doubt i'll ever watch it again.



The movie also revists many topics we have argued about to the Nth degree here, yet in the movie makes all the wrong conclusions. In the movie, it frames every single one of these with the conclusion that Rossi is the blameless hero, a result of a trait of his will to win a trait we should all admire without question. From the vilification of Biaggi & Sete, to his dastard torpedo of Sete at Jerez, to his vilification of Honda, even revisiting his big '.... you' production celebration of him shackled like some prisoner doing hard labor as a Honda rider. Then like a Messiah, single handedly saves Yamaha. Which completely smacks hallow today since we know he couldnt develop Ducati despite every possible advantage given to a rider to do so.



This storyline continues with the framing of 'his bad luck loss' of the 06 title, and BLAMES HIS TIRES for the Valencia crash. Yes, read that again! That us a chickenshit statement. Takes no respinsibility fir his own epic fail. This, a man that had the exclusive benefit of special tires in most all of his premeir titles, making them all in my eyes skewed & questionable. Then the movie frames the significant difference in the title that year squarely on the central figure of Elias, who beat Rossi at Estoril making the 5 points difference, but glossing over Pedros torpedo effect on those same points. The point is sealed by selectively injecting Hayden's sound bite calling 'Elias his boy' and there u have it folks, the 06 season in a nut shell.



Then they go on to Laguna 08, where the soft vilification of Stoner begins. The now infamous Corkscrew "MISTAKE"; yeah, thats right, Rossi admits its a mistak finally on camera, one that he recalled he had made in practice, but now framed as a racing move for which Casey had no right to protest, because in Rossi's words, "did not touch Casey". But just incase the viewer didnt get the message, they go on to include a sound bite that 'Casey is mentally weak' when covering Stoner's illness. Casey can on ocasion (seems to be increasing with frequency) says some stupid .... when given the opportunity, yet to have some jouno's sound bite questioning the mans mental strength when before & after his illness Casey ran the field in the races, is not only inaccurate but vindictive. Moaning, whining, and saying stupid .... does not a weak mind make.



But the vilification of Rossi's rivals doesnt end there. Lorenzo benefiting from "Rossi's development" is a prominent theme as they frame the 2009 rise and 2010 championship as Rossi "sharpening the tool for his rival." Enter shopkeepers on the street interviews, who tell us Lorenzo is just leeching off Rossi and is copycating him to boot. Again, given Rossi's downplaying of his development role at Ducati 2011 makes his heroic development of Yamaha completely inaccurate. If this wasnt enuf, the leg injury is framed again as heroics, for his triumphant return at Sepang. Lets forget for a moment that Lorenzo won the title there, the movie concentrates on interviewing Dr Claudio Costa at every opportunity, who tells the viewer how amazing it was for Rossi to return and win so fast. Which is true, yes, absolutely, but when u make a 2 hour movie and spend 99% of the footage about Rossi, it begins to paint a picture that this is only a homage, and nothing more.



The part that actually had me laffing, and i mean, i burst out laffing, was when they started showing these cardboard cut-outs on the sides of houses and shops in Italy. I was like, dude, i get it already, yes, its all about Rossi, do i need to continue to see images of cult worship and interviews from the angry little old lady calling Lorenzo a copycat? Hahaha. ....... overkill.

Sounds even more of a Rossi wankfest than Faster ..... think I'll not be bothered to chase it up ......

Jum, the movie is ridiculously Rossi-centric, but remember the circumstances of GP prior to filming. Rossi had won two in a row by out-developing Stoner-Preziosi on their own tires (sort of), and then he beat Jorge in some of the closest races in GP history. They couldn't have known he would be injured, and they didn't have much of a story line after he did crash--motogp was a one man show. If one of us went back in time to tell Neale that Rossi was going to miss the Mugello GP in 2010, and Rossi wouldn't win a race during the 2011 season, Neale probably wouldn't have believed us.



I think the title is a poignant reminder (albeit unintentionally) of how quickly your aspirations can evaporate in the fastest sport on earth.

All of these movies have been a giant ad for the sport & it's silly to deny that they know what sells.



The coverage of Hopper, McCoy & Hayden in the others was fantastic though. I am hoping there is at least something like that in this one?

Goatboy said:

All of these movies have been a giant ad for the sport & it's silly to deny that they know what sells.

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Well bro, its silly to deny what a mistake this thinking resulted in.



Its been a giant ad for Rossi at the expense of the sport. And that might be part of the reason the sport is in trouble now, lack of diversification. There are plenty of story lines in the sport and plenty of performances to showcase. I dont have a problem with them making a point that Rossi dominated, but this was not that at all, it was a homage. Nothing past that.



I thought it failed to showcase the sport, which has many other cool competitors. They could have talked more about the other characters, and their own amazing talents. Two of the best, Stoner & Lorenzo were only mentioned in a context as Rossi challengers. They made no attempt to showcase their talent as individuals; who each had amazing title runs 07/10. They made no attempt to showcase the 06 season, which had amazing close races, including a competitor by a true privateer (Krsr), with multiple races winers, one of which was a wildcard. 06 was only framed in the context that Rossi had bad luck. What about individual race performances in other years, like Pedro & Stoner winning some by a country mile in some cases. How about winners in horrible races conditions such as those amazing wins by Loris, Vermuelen, Dovi, etc. They forewent a great ad of the sport for an ad of an individual.



I suspect it wont get the sales u suggest. U say they know what sells? Then why would they market a movie about the sport itself? There lies the contradiction. Why not just a movie about Rossi then tell everybody, this is a movie about Rossi? Many of the sales it will/have get will be a result of their dishonest marketing, that this was a movie about the sport, then a bait and switch will occur.



Rossi fans will buy it for sure. But this dude could have got sales of fans of other riders, which is a broader base. Valentino's hometown shopkeeps got more air time than actual competitors of the sport. Im sure im not the only one who feels this way. And it will be felt in sales as the word gets out.

Jumkie said:

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I agree with what you're saying. I found myself giggling about some of the half-truths McGregor spoke of and the utter myths the people of Tavullia believed. It was Rossi-centric and it wasn't terribly deep, so it was never going to delve into the reality of Rossi's plight nor the meteoric rise in talents like Lorenzo and Stoner (although I did find that outside of the Tavullia shopkeepers claiming Lorenzo only won a title because of Rossi's development, Lorenzo got a little bit of love). That was apparent when Toby, Jules, and Spalders were given less time on camera than Rossi's crew. And why Kropotkin wasn't interviewed, I'll never know...



And although I still think that it can be justified in the sense that this is likely the last of the golden goose's golden eggs for Neale, you make a very good point about the marketing of the film. Like I said previously, there was some great footage and some good interviews that I thoroughly enjoyed. However, it was a thinly veiled story of Rossi's 800 career supplemented with few moments that examined the sport as a whole.

Well, if this isn't worth watching unless your a really big Rossi fan, then are there any other MotoGP movies out there that are worth watching for the average fan?

Ion Blaster4 said:

Well, if this isn't worth watching unless your a really big Rossi fan, then are there any other MotoGP movies out there that are worth watching for the average fan?

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It is worth watching for the average fan. It isn't worth watching if you can't bare to be reminded that Valentino Rossi can race motorcycles very well. It's not perfect but it's very good

Tom said:

It is worth watching for the average fan. It isn't worth watching if you can't bare to be reminded that Valentino Rossi can race motorcycles very well. It's not perfect but it's very good

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+1 I still thought it was worth my time. I don't plan on buying it, though.

mylexicon said:

Jum, the movie is ridiculously Rossi-centric, but remember the circumstances of GP prior to filming. Rossi had won two in a row by out-developing Stoner-Preziosi on their own tires (sort of), and then he beat Jorge in some of the closest races in GP history. They couldn't have known he would be injured, and they didn't have much of a story line after he did crash--motogp was a one man show. If one of us went back in time to tell Neale that Rossi was going to miss the Mugello GP in 2010, and Rossi wouldn't win a race during the 2011 season, Neale probably wouldn't have believed us.



I think the title is a poignant reminder (albeit unintentionally) of how quickly your aspirations can evaporate in the fastest sport on earth.

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Pretty much.

Jumkie said:

Well bro, its silly to deny what a mistake this thinking resulted in.

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I have seen neither the film nor the gross, so I'm not in a position to comment.

Goatboy said:

The coverage of Hopper, McCoy & Hayden in the others was fantastic though. I am hoping there is at least something like that in this one?

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Nope. 99% Rossi and sound bytes from a couple of riders.

The video has hit the Interwebs. I'll be Bopping Breathlessly in 1h, 21m!



Jumkie, don't hold back Bro. Let us know how you really feel.

I greatly enjoy reading your posts. Git em!

Ion Blaster4 said:

Well, if this isn't worth watching unless your a really big Rossi fan, then are there any other MotoGP movies out there that are worth watching for the average fan?

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IMO, Neale's earlier efforts, particularly D.T.K, are reasonably balanced.

Faster was fairly Rossi-centric, but I don't remember too much Bopper Bias.