Bloody great!

Rating: 10/10 (26 February 2006)

"Spoiler" noted only because I may reveal surprises.
Unlike some reviewers I AM a motorcycle fan, but that isn't a requirement for the enjoyment of this film. TWFI goes far beyond merely showing the life of a gearhead, with a clear, compassionate display of human dedication and perseverance. The fact that it also manages to show accurately the behavior of a man whose life is centered around machinery is icing on the cake for me. Example: Burt trimming his toenails with a sanding attachment on a drill motor. That is exactly the sort of solution a man like him would've found for a grooming challenge. Example: trimming the weeds in the yard by dousing them with gasoline and lighting them. Again, very true-to-life.
The production of the movie also showed a real commitment to accuracy and excellence. According to the review in Motorcycle Consumer News, the junk lying around Burt's shop was the real Burt Munro's actual junk, including melted pistons and blown cylinders ruined during his development of the Indian's engine. Also, even more amazingly, the cars on the salt at Bonneville were not copies, not period-correct restorations, but THE ACTUAL vehicles which were there when Burt Munro ran. How the producers were able to persuade the museums in which those beauties normally reside to allow them to return to the abrasive, corrosive environment of a salt flat is beyond my imagination. I just know that they bring an air of reality to this film which one doesn't see often in modern films. I think that even viewers who couldn't tell a piston from a pinto pony will still feel the reality of the environments shown in this film, will "get the vibe," so to speak.
Anthony Hopkins is, as ever, brilliant. There are other actors who could've done a good job of portraying Burt Munro, but there is no one who could have done it better. Actors of his caliber don't go to work with the thought that someone will award them a gold statue for their work, but it will be a shame if he is not nominated for every possible award for this role. TWFI is the kind of subtle, quiet film which sometimes escapes the notice of award-givers; I hope it gets noticed.