The best feel-good movie of the 00s.

Rating: 9/10 (24 July 2006)

Feel-good movies very often turn preachy, unbelievable or simply annoying. The great movie Rainman has one moment when it really balances on the edge of "too much"; when Raymond lets his head hang on Tom Cruises after the hearing. Maybe it's in our nature; we cannot really believe that everything ends well with no-one getting killed or hurt in some way.
That's why World's Fastest Indian is such an achievement. It is a biopic, but it contains basically no huge obstacles and dangers for our hero to pass. There's no-one tragically getting killed or dying for the sake of the plot, there's no villain or nemesis, basically none of the elements most movies have today to create an exciting story.
What we do have is Anthony Hopkins in a role so far away from Hannibal he's forever on my list of really great actors. He's charming, he's a rascal, he's the kind of guy you'd want as a grandpa. On his trip he shows that a kind word and a smile get's you a lot further than threats of lawsuits or violence. It all feels realistic and Hopkins character is never naive; he simply knows that being himself is the right way. Few movies can boast such a happy and constructive view without the hero seeming super-naturally friendly and trusting.
Acting is wonderful throughout the movie. Cinematography is great, from the dunes of New Zeeland beaches to the salt flats in Nevada, it's a beautiful movie to watch. The dialog's snappy and takes you for a linguistic tour from under down under to the real hicksvilles of Amurica. The event the movie's based on, the big race, is also a nice piece of movie-making.
In closing, I recommend this movie to basically everyone. It'll melt a big chunk of cynicism out of you, and we all need that these days.