Did you realise that the 2011 Athletics World Championships were held in London? No, neither did I. The record books will actually tell you that they took place in Daegu, South Korea, but this film will tell you something different. The reason is that the film was slated for release in June 2012 to cash in on the forthcoming London Olympics, and the original script had the characters competing for a place on the British team for those Games. Unfortunately, the producers had failed to realise that the International Olympic Committee take a dim view of anyone other than an Official Sponsor cashing in on their Sacred Games, and that the commercial use of phrases such as "London Olympics" and "London 2012" was restricted by law, a law enforceable by some quite ferocious criminal sanctions. Hence the invention of the fictitious "London 2011" World Championships.
Lisa Temple is white, blonde, rich and beautiful. Shania Andrews is black (or, to be more accurate, of mixed race), brunette, working-class and also beautiful. (The name "Shania", incidentally, is pronounced Shan-EYE-ah. It does not rhyme with "Tania"). Apart from their beauty, the two young women have three things in common. They are fast (in the sense of "speedy" rather than that of "promiscuous", despite that rather obvious pun in the title). They are competing for a place on the British 4×100 metres relay team. And what is more they hate each other very much.
Cue a film which incorporates just about every sporting-drama cliché known to man or woman. There are the antagonistic duo whose initial mutual dislike turns first to mutual respect and then to friendship as they learn to work together as part of a team. There is the rich girl who at first seems like a snobby bitch and the poor girl who at first seems to have a massive chip on her shoulder but who both eventually turn out to be thoroughly Good Eggs. There is the pushy, domineering parent (in this case Lisa's father David, himself a former famous athlete). There is the inspirational coach in the shape of Shania's mentor Brian (an amateur, but far more inspirational than any professional could be). There is the sudden, unexpected stroke of bad luck when an experienced older competitor's last chance at glory is dashed by injury, (but thereby giving a chance to an up-and-coming youngster). There is the sudden, unexpected stroke of good luck; when Great Britain finish just one place away from qualification in the semi- finals I just knew what was coming next. And of course it came; the French were disqualified for an infringement. (The French athletes, unlike the British, are all white. I wonder how many decades it must be since a real French sprint relay team did not include a single black member). There is a possible love-rivalry between Shania and Lisa. There is the inevitable heartwarming triumph at the end. Change the sport and the sex of the characters, and this could be a story from a "Roy of the Rovers" comic.
Despite the immense success of "Chariots of Fire" in the early eighties, films about track-and-field athletics have been few and far between. About the only other one I can think of was the American "Personal Best" which told a rather similar story to "Fast Girls", except that the burgeoning relationship between Lisa and Shania stops at the "just good friends" stage and does not become a full-blown lesbian affair as happens with the rival athletes in the other film. Yet this cinematic dearth does not just affect athletics. There are virtually no films about cricket or Rugby Union, and surprisingly few about such popular sports as golf, tennis or even football. I think that part of the reason is that it is difficult to recreate the drama of a live sporting event on the cinema screen and part that it is difficult to write a convincing sporting drama without relying on the sort of clichés set out above.
The script did occasionally hint at some more interesting issues, such as the obviously complex relationship between Lisa and her Dad, or Shania's equally complex family background. It is even hinted that one of their colleagues in the relay squad is a "fast girl" in the other sense of the adjective and has been sleeping with potential sponsors despite being married. The film, however, seemed to shy away from exploring these issues in any depth.
Lenora Crichlow and Lily James would appear, on the evidence of this movie, to be two gifted young actresses. (This was the first time I had seen Lily; I had previously known Lenora from her role in the television series "Sugar Rush"). Actresses, however, are only as good as their material, and I hope to see these two in better and more original films than this one. 5/10
Lisa Temple is white, blonde, rich and beautiful. Shania Andrews is black (or, to be more accurate, of mixed race), brunette, working-class and also beautiful. (The name "Shania", incidentally, is pronounced Shan-EYE-ah. It does not rhyme with "Tania"). Apart from their beauty, the two young women have three things in common. They are fast (in the sense of "speedy" rather than that of "promiscuous", despite that rather obvious pun in the title). They are competing for a place on the British 4×100 metres relay team. And what is more they hate each other very much.
Cue a film which incorporates just about every sporting-drama cliché known to man or woman. There are the antagonistic duo whose initial mutual dislike turns first to mutual respect and then to friendship as they learn to work together as part of a team. There is the rich girl who at first seems like a snobby bitch and the poor girl who at first seems to have a massive chip on her shoulder but who both eventually turn out to be thoroughly Good Eggs. There is the pushy, domineering parent (in this case Lisa's father David, himself a former famous athlete). There is the inspirational coach in the shape of Shania's mentor Brian (an amateur, but far more inspirational than any professional could be). There is the sudden, unexpected stroke of bad luck when an experienced older competitor's last chance at glory is dashed by injury, (but thereby giving a chance to an up-and-coming youngster). There is the sudden, unexpected stroke of good luck; when Great Britain finish just one place away from qualification in the semi- finals I just knew what was coming next. And of course it came; the French were disqualified for an infringement. (The French athletes, unlike the British, are all white. I wonder how many decades it must be since a real French sprint relay team did not include a single black member). There is a possible love-rivalry between Shania and Lisa. There is the inevitable heartwarming triumph at the end. Change the sport and the sex of the characters, and this could be a story from a "Roy of the Rovers" comic.
Despite the immense success of "Chariots of Fire" in the early eighties, films about track-and-field athletics have been few and far between. About the only other one I can think of was the American "Personal Best" which told a rather similar story to "Fast Girls", except that the burgeoning relationship between Lisa and Shania stops at the "just good friends" stage and does not become a full-blown lesbian affair as happens with the rival athletes in the other film. Yet this cinematic dearth does not just affect athletics. There are virtually no films about cricket or Rugby Union, and surprisingly few about such popular sports as golf, tennis or even football. I think that part of the reason is that it is difficult to recreate the drama of a live sporting event on the cinema screen and part that it is difficult to write a convincing sporting drama without relying on the sort of clichés set out above.
The script did occasionally hint at some more interesting issues, such as the obviously complex relationship between Lisa and her Dad, or Shania's equally complex family background. It is even hinted that one of their colleagues in the relay squad is a "fast girl" in the other sense of the adjective and has been sleeping with potential sponsors despite being married. The film, however, seemed to shy away from exploring these issues in any depth.
Lenora Crichlow and Lily James would appear, on the evidence of this movie, to be two gifted young actresses. (This was the first time I had seen Lily; I had previously known Lenora from her role in the television series "Sugar Rush"). Actresses, however, are only as good as their material, and I hope to see these two in better and more original films than this one. 5/10
