p.47 film
25 May 2012
Fuelled by deprivation, terrified of injuries, permanently on the hunt for sponsors ... James, Jeanette, Richard and 17-year-old Omardo — the four black London sprinters at the heart of Sam Blair’s sports documentary — are an upbeat lot, yet the more we learn about their lives the more they sound like imperilled characters from The Hunger Games.
James’s dad talks about the horrors of austerity Britain; Omardo’s mother admits she’s sad her boy had “no chance” to be a doctor or lawyer. How nice to see a pre-Olympics project so willing to cut through follow-your-dream guff. And how nice — should James, Jeanette or Richard qualify — to have such lovely individuals to root for in July.
Cert 12A, 86mins
