My hubby and I went to a preview of Fast Girls at the Xscape Cineworld last night thanks to the good folks at SeeFilmFirst. Fast Girls is the new Brit movie starring Lenora Crichlow (best known as Annie in BBC3's excellent Being Human) who plays Shania Andrews, a 200m runner who lives in a tower block with her Auntie, who has taken her and her sister in after the death of her mother. She is training to qualify for the World Athletics Championships and beat her middle-class rival Lisa, who is following in the footsteps of her overbearing gold medal-winning father. When Shania qualifies for team GB, she meets Tommy the coach (Noel Clarke of BBC1's epic Dr Who - who also co-wrote the screenplay) and Carl the physiotherapist (played by Bradley James, King Arthur from BBC1's Merlin) and is asked to join the relay team. What follows is a 'Bend it like Beckham for Athletics' but you can't help but get caught up with rooting for them. In fact, it really makes you look forward to the 2012 Olympics which, I suspect, was the aim all along. I particularly liked the emphasis on the pusy parent living vicariously through his daughter and that Shania's family were only interested in her sport once she started to win, as this was the most believable aspect of the film. All in all, I really enjoyed this easy-to-watch film and I give it 4 out of 5.
Tomorrow night I have preview tickets to see Friends with Kids and a review of this film will be posted soon.
Sounds like a good film, I will probably watch it at some point, especially as, many MANY years ago, I used to be a member of my local athletics club and used to compete in track and field events all over the north of england! :)
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