A run through memories Life at These Speeds (originally known as 1 Mile to You) is an American independent sports drama film. It premiered in April 2017. It was directed by Boston cinematographer Leif Tilden, for whom "Life at These Speeds" in fact became the debut feature work, before that in his track record as a director were listed the unreleased film "Reunion" (2001), as well as the short "Big Love" (2001) with the participation of Sam Rockwell, Mary McCormack and Emma Roberts. The script for “Life at These Speeds” was written by two debutants: Mark Novak, who, however, tried his hand at cinema before that as an executive co-producer, and Jeremy Jackson. The main roles were invited 27-year-old Graham Rogers and 22-year-old Liana Liberato. Among the guest stars worth noting Billy Crudup, Melanie Lynskey, Peter Coyote and Tim Roth.
"Living at these speeds" was the headline for her school paper taken by a sweet and modest girl named Henny (Liberato). The article was written in honor of a recently transferred student named Kevin Schuler (Rogers). This unsociable young man recently experienced the biggest nightmare of his life: in a car accident killed his entire school team, including his friends and beloved girl, Kevin miraculously escaped when the bus returning from the competition turned on the bridge and he fell from a great height into raging river streams. Kevin can't recover from these painful memories, but suddenly there's a way out. No, it's not a new high school sympathies in the form of Henny, which Kevin tries to avoid and sometimes communicates with her quite rudely. Kevin, under the guidance of a local running coach, begins to show great promise in long-distance running. To break records, Kevin somehow even mystically helps those memories. . .
But, as you understand, the film cannot be shot with such a completely ordinary plot, there must be a deep dramaturgy, given the nightmare that the main character of the film experienced. Against the background of the disaster, the guy must overcome himself and try to start living again, finding a new meaning in this very life. Of course, the first incentive should be the sport, especially since he has a serious competitor, with whom Kevin repeatedly has conflicts, and the second, undoubtedly, should be Henny, who, despite all the rude behavior of Kevin, tries to pull him out of the whirlpool of desperate thoughts. Thus, the authors of “Life at these speeds” try to make a multi-layered drama, but at the same time making it clear to each viewer that every person deserves a second chance and sometimes you should not blame yourself for what you are not at all guilty of. The plot is clear, the meaning is also, and then everything is closed on acting and directing.
But what kind of directing can we talk about, when even the budget of "Life at These Speeds" was very small, which makes it noticeable that the tape could not swing at a wide rental, despite the presence of several famous actors. Filming does not conquer with its integrity and expressiveness. Even the favorite setting from one-story America does not conquer with its appearance. Let’s say that all the terrain involved in the picture is typical redneck buildings and you do not feel any special feelings for the locations. The sports competitions themselves in sports dramas of American production are most often set at the level of euphoria, when the viewer should directly rejoice jubilantly for the main characters of the film, but, to confess, the victories of the main character also do not cause special sensations. And then the nested drama comes to the fore, and here it is necessary to agree that “Life at these speeds” is set precisely as a drama about new opportunities that life gives us, and about forgiveness.
However, it largely depended on the actors themselves. And if it’s impossible for Tim Roth to make a claim, his appearance is limited to about five scenes and minutes of five screen time, so it’s impossible to assess the quality of his game. But the main character in the performance of Graham Rogers, despite the fact that he was prescribed a tragic role by the writers, played very mediocre, and again the main problem of "Life at These Speeds" appeared - you practically do not feel any feelings. Liana Liberato once had high hopes after roles in Stuck in Love (2012) and Best in Me (2014), but so far her career has stalled. But if you compare her work with her partner on the set, Graham Rogers, then she is definitely more expressive and convincing than him. But the most memorable character is still Melanie Lynskey, she has some expression and inner strength. Especially when so experienced Billy Crudup and Peter Coyote played very static.
5 out of 10
