A new favorite

Rating: 10/10 (26 February 2006)

The Worlds Fastest Indian may never be on my list of greatest movies, but it went on my list of favorites after about the first 10 minutes. I'll save the great list for Citizen Kane, the Godfather and other aristocrats. The favorite list is for "real" movies, like Some Like It Hot and Breaking Away, and now The Worlds Fastest Indian.
Anthony Hopkins was superb. I forced myself back to reality at one moment, and tried to envision Hannibal Lecter or Richard Nixon. They were nowhere in the theater. It was just Burt Munro, and like everyone he met in the film, I was his new best friend. The supporting cast was just that, there to move the story and bring out the best in Hopkins. They were a perfect gathering of veteran and new talent, each ideally cast. Aaron Murphy as Tom in particular was a spot on casting call.
Here's a movie with little swearing, no violence, and no bad guy. It doesn't rely on special effects or CGI. The plot is driven by motorcycles and going fast, but that's not at all what the movie is about. It doesn't get into pistons and valves, and the words horsepower and torque are never uttered. It's about a man who has the perfect storm of a goal, a can-do attitude and unyielding determination. You can't not like the guy.
That said, if you're a motorsports fan you'll find even more to like. If you're a motorcycle buff, even more, and if you're a classic motorcycle enthusiast, there's a scene on a New Zealand beach that will give you goose bumps.
A more ambitious opening and marketing should have made this movie far more noticed, and would have undoubtedly garnered Hopkins an Oscar or other award nomination. It's not a blockbuster and it's not an art-house gem, and in a way it's almost fitting that this movie remains a semi-secret, hidden beneath the shadow of the politically driven films that dominate this year. I just hope it makes enough money to encourage the studios to keep making these good, character driven tales that completely absorb the viewer for a couple of hours.
The 2005 season will be remembered for the Academy Award nominated bunch, and blockbusters like Star Wars Episode III and The Wedding Crashers. But one day, years from now, when someone asks what my favorite movie is, this will be one of first that comes to mind.