2 Seconds

Released 1998
Stars Charlotte Laurier, Dino Tavarone, Yves Pelletier, Pascal Auclair, Andre Brassard
Directed by Manon Briand

The film opens with Laurie, a champion bicyclist, riding a tram to take her run in a mountain race. On the way, one of the young girls notices Laurie has a gray hair. This stuns her so much that she pauses for several seconds at the gate before running the race. She ends up near the bottom of the pack and loses by two seconds, causing her to get fired for being over the hill (at 28). This starts Laurie on her transition from professional athlete to her next phase of life.

What a treat this film was--a slick, exciting directorial and writing effort from Manon Briand. It was interesting from the beginning, with the thrilling mountain race footage, to the end. It also managed to duck almost all of the cliches in such a story. With the exception of one misstep near the end (involving Lorenzo's bike), it was brilliant. The ending itself was a perfect place to cut. The film was energetic and kinetic without being tiresome. It also connected on an emotional level and was a lot of fun. I hope to see something else from Manon Briand soon.

Summary by Bill Alward -- June 14, 2001