Mit Herz und Hand

INHALT

The milk of human kindness flows freely in this uplifting biopic from writer/director Roger Donaldson. Centring on an endearingly eccentric performance from Anthony Hopkins, it's an inspirational portrait of ageing New Zealander Burt Munro who, in 1967, followed his dreams and became a motorcycle legend. After a lifetime of perfecting his classic Indian Twin Scout bike, the plucky pensioner travelled to the US, where he set a still unbroken, world land-speed record on Utah's famous Bonneville Salt Flats. Unusually for modern cinema, the film is devoid of cynicism - remaining as open-hearted as its protagonist and the colourful characters he encounters. From the cross-dressing motel receptionist to a lonely widow (Diane Ladd), both Donaldson and Munro see only their positive sides. Older viewers in particular will be charmed by the traditional values the picture extols, while the cheeky comic edge and exciting racing sequences offset any feelings that it's all just rose-tinted nostalgia.