Velorama
Velorama
| 06 July 2014 (USA)
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Documentary looking at a century of cycling. Commissioned to mark the arrival of the 2014 Tour de France in Yorkshire, the film makes full use of stunning British Film Institute footage to transport the audience on a journey from the invention of the modern bike, through the rise of recreational cycling, to gruelling competitive races. Award-winning director Daisy Asquith artfully combines the richly-diverse archive with a hypnotic soundtrack from cult composer Bill Nelson in a joyful, absorbing watch for both cycling and archive fans.

Reviews
ThiefHott

Too much of everything

VividSimon

Simply Perfect

TrueHello

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

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Rio Hayward

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

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l_rawjalaurence

Using material culled from the BFI (British Film Institute), VELORAMA looks at the relationship between cycling and the British. Some of the clips date back to the early days of the last century; others seem to be from the late Seventies and early Eighties. There is no linking commentary: viewers are asked to make their own connections between the extracts. There are some fascinating associations - at the beginning of the film we look at the ways in which bicycles were constructed. The emphasis here is on the power of the machine - even though it seems rather insubstantial, it exerts a peculiar fascination with its geometric shapes and apparently flawless design. Later on VELORAMA looks at the relationship between cycling and romanticism - specifically the need to escape the grime of the industrial city and venture out into the countryside to explore England's green and pleasant land. The film evokes images of companionship and classlessness: while embarking on a Sunday excursion, no one seems to care about their backgrounds. Instead they enjoy the pleasures of community. The film also shows how bicycles evoke nostalgic images of childhood, of times when youngsters could happily play in the streets outside their houses without the risk of abduction or molestation. There are some fascinating extracts here - I especially enjoyed the clips from Ridley Scott's very first film BOY AND BICYCLE (1962) where he focuses on a young man escaping the confines of his working-class quotidian existence to enjoy the pleasures of sea and a cigarette. VELORAMA has something for everyone - social historians, cycling buffs and nostalgics alike.

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