The Flying Scotsman

Jun 29 2007 By Graham Young, Birmingham Mail

NEITHER a film about air travel nor a railway, this is the amazing story of depressive Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree who tried to break the world record for the greatest distance travelled in one hour - using a home-made bicycle constructed partly from washing machine components.

The feat is little remembered today, even though the action is set in the mid-90s when Obree even managed to beat high profile Olympic Gold Medal winner Chris Boardman.

Jonny Lee Miller plays Obree, Laura Fraser is his wife, Anne and Lord of the Rings' star Billy Boyd is manager Malky McGovern.

While many of the velodrome sequences are terrific, with Obree himself used to pedal a camera bike in order to keep up with the highly-trained Miller around the track, the wider story is a touch half-baked.

Brian Cox is little used as a priest while Obree's depression leading to a suicide attempt takes us into Brassed Off territory, only with much less emotional impact.

With the 102-minute film struggling to incorporate both Obree's childhood bullying and the mechanics involved, the governing body's meddling with its own laws are an unfortunate distraction.

Showing only at Showcase Cinemas, keen cyclists will naturally love this regardless but it's still a universal story for all about how sport can inspire you.