Cyclomania (2001) User Reviews

soft spot for those crazy Finns

[walesgvdh · 8/10 · 22 September 2003]

and this movie adds another proof on my list that the people from Finland really are a special kind. If you think only the inhabitants of Akiland communicate "in that certain manner", think again. Someone praised The Outfit (with R. Duvall) for its plainspokenness. Clearly they never watched a movie from Sibelius country, nor met and spoken to, pardon me, tried to speak to a real Finnish person. The clarity! Even today, as I phoned with Platta for news about the Scandinavian Music Group, I really had to switch tracks in me head and force me tongue to try to speak crystal, but not telegraph. With this comes a simple acknowledgement of life as it is, which is also displayed by this story of Cyclomania. Be it love or death or just trying to fulfil one goal, the Finns know what it means "to give it their best shot" (hey, I come from a country where grown men worshipped a Finn, called Jari Litmanen...)

In the Netherlands we would never be able to pull this off -(watch it, possible spoiler ahead)-, anyone working so hard that even a fatal warning is put aside, most directors/actors would choke on it here, in my land where the "maaiveld" and "poldermodel" rule.

One last thing: Elena Leeve is of an exceptional beauty for Suomalainen standards...

Seen: Monday 22nd September 2003 At: ZDF As: Fahrradfieber (subtitled though)

Cycling film that is so much more

[markdrum · 8/10 · 2 August 2008]

I watched this because it was a cycling film but it was so much more than a simple sports film. On the surface it is about the rivalry between K and Eetu to be top dog on a local Finnish cycling team (and later a love rivalry for Oona), with the three main characters all working for the same bike messenger company.

Eetu is the number one cyclist in the cycling team but K beats him in a local race changing the status quo. As an aside, it is mainly a roadie bike film but there is some underground MTB training in a local mine.

But it is more than a cycling film - it is also a film about ambition, love, friendship and life. How many Finnish films have you watched- I can't think of any? This film works on all levels- it has a story, some action and the cinematography is also good. It may be a "small" film but it is worth 90 minutes of your time.

This one works....

[aes87 · 8/10 · 19 April 2005]

The Finnish film-industry has several severe problems; one of them, and maybe the biggest, in my opinion, is that some directors try too much. They believe that mixing all genres into one makes a good film, e.g. Hymypoika, Game Over, Kuutamolla, the Levottomat-trilogy. This often turns the film into saucy pieces of junk. This film on the other hand has a straight direction. It doesn't have any nudity (only one sex-scene which reveled almost no skin, which is odd for a Finnish movie), it concentrates strictly on the plot(which most Finnish films lack), it has a beginning, a middle part and an end. And most importantly, it has working actors. The film turns out to be a working piece of art(because art is what it is). I simply loved the snorri-cam-parts and the beautiful Finnish landscapes. Two Big Thumbs Up for Director Simo Halinen!!

great!

[krs10 · 10/10 · 5 July 2002]

one of the best sports movies i've seen so far! Cyclomania is a film about cycling (of course) but what's more important - it's a sensitive study about ambition, envy and friendship. dynamic and realistic sports filming plus great acting and directing make this film a 10 / 10.