Hong
Kong's submission to the 88th Academy Awards for Best
Foreign Language Film is one of the few fictional features dedicated
to the world of professional cycling.
Representing
a detour from his well regarded crime thrillers, director Dante Lam
Chiu-yin's To the Fore (Por Fung) tackles the trials and
tribulations of three competitive cyclists. Ming (Eddie Peng Yu-yan)
and Tian (Shawn Dou Xiam) are lead-outs, tasked with slipstreaming
the team's sprinter to the final meters of the race and then break
away, to allow Korean sprinter Ji-won (Choi Siwon) to race to the
finish line.
Unlike
other features, To the Fore focuses mostly on the lead-out
rather than the sprinter, well describing the high pressure, high
stamina and endurance faced in this propulsive race.
While
engaging, the sportscasters' comments, as well as the professional
rivalry and love triangle plot involving chinese ex-cyclist Shiyao
(Wang Luodan), dampen the races' visually immersive momentum.
Shot
on location in Taiwan and Asia, the steep, arduous terrain boasts
increasingly sharper bends demanding more speed and control.
Attention to detail and technical ingenuity creates an authentic
portrayal and close-proximity feel of the diverse cycling styles,
action choreography, stunts and the heart-stopping crashes.
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