Spectacles, Testicles, Watch, and Wallet

Rating: 9/10 (27 October 2011)

Blue-collared New Zealander Burt Munro has one dream; to go fast. Obsessed with his dream to break land-speed records, Burt wakes up every morning before dawn to customize his 1920 606cc Indian Scout to the dismay of his neighbors. Not getting any younger, Burt decides to follow his dream and endure a long harsh pilgrimage to the Bonneville salt flats of Utah.
Based on a true story "World's Fastest Indian" has become a labor of love for director Roger Donaldson who had been working on and off on the project for 20 years. Donaldson even directed a TV documentary on the same subject in 1971. His passion for his subject is the engine that drives this beautifully shot film. He seems to have tremendous respect and fondness for the Invercargill legend avoiding simple generalizations.
Anthony Hopkins portrayal of Burt Munro is arguably the best performance of his career. Burt comes off as a gruff but good-natured backyard eccentric; a big fish who has gotten too big for his pond and despite setbacks, aims to prove he's anything but ordinary. Burt setbacks however are ordinary in a good sense. Ones that we all have experienced: lack of money, mechanical and transportation issues, entrenched bureaucracy, they're all frustratingly there impeding Burt from succeeding in his goal. Burt however handles them with a dose of chipper can-do helping others along the way including a cynical transvestite (Chris Williams), a struggling used car salesman (Paul Rodriguez) and a lonely widow (Diane Ladd).
Ultimately what comes across the screen is a small quiet film about a larger than life figure. Not quite a motorcycle movie or a biographical melodrama, "World's Fastest Indian" totes the line being equally satisfying for both motorheads and the average moviegoer.
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