Downhill Racer definitely won me over as it went along. I found its approach alienating at first, but once it kind of clicks and you realize it's going for realism and authenticity, it works. The downside is that there isn't a great deal of narrative, and personally, I didn't find the characters very involving. But it does a great job at putting you in the moment, and convincing you that what you're seeing is real.
Robert Redford and Gene Hackman both shine, even though they're not playing very flashy characters and have to match the subdued energy of the whole film. The sequences depicting the downhill skiing (or whatever it's called) are really well done. Whenever they did a point-of-view shot for whoever was skiing, that looked amazing.
It reminded me of the Steve McQueen movie Le Mans, which took a similar, stripped-back approach to formula-1 racing. I think I liked Downhill Racer a tiny bit more, though - maybe the performances gave it the edge in the end.
It was a slow movie, and I didn't love all of it, but I kind of dug it in the end.
Robert Redford and Gene Hackman both shine, even though they're not playing very flashy characters and have to match the subdued energy of the whole film. The sequences depicting the downhill skiing (or whatever it's called) are really well done. Whenever they did a point-of-view shot for whoever was skiing, that looked amazing.
It reminded me of the Steve McQueen movie Le Mans, which took a similar, stripped-back approach to formula-1 racing. I think I liked Downhill Racer a tiny bit more, though - maybe the performances gave it the edge in the end.
It was a slow movie, and I didn't love all of it, but I kind of dug it in the end.