Fast Girls

Fast Girls is a movie you've probably stumbled across and never heard about that brings a ton of heart to the world of sports dramas. This film follows two young British sprinters from very different backgrounds as they struggle to put aside their differences and come together to compete in the relay race of their lives. It's not only a story about athletic ambition, but also one of friendship, resilience, and the power of unity.

Lenora Crichlow and Lily James lead a cast that's both talented and charming, making you root for them right from the start. Their chemistry-at times tense, at times endearing-brings a realistic edge to the highs and lows of competitive sport. The training montages are thrilling, and the race sequences really pull you in, making you feel every bit of tension and adrenaline that these athletes experience.

The movie shines brightest when it's highlighting the grit and determination of women who refuse to be underestimated. Fast Girls may not reinvent the sports drama genre, but it certainly stands out with its empowering message and focus on women athletes, which still feels refreshing. The pacing is quick, and while it might be a bit predictable, it's hard not to get swept up in the excitement and emotion.

If you're a fan of feel-good sports movies with a strong focus on teamwork and resilience, Fast Girls will leave you cheering by the end!

This film really gave me the impression that the creators really didn't know that much about athletics and just made this purely to cash in on the UK's Olympic hype.

Fist of all it's implied that the main character is relatively unknown in athletics and springs out of nowhere to become part of the team GB World Championship athletics team. Yeah, that's not really how it works, if she was already getting times that were good enough to be in the running for a team GB place, people would have known about her. She would already have competed in many national competitions and made a name for herself before qualifying for Great Britain.

Also the fact that they go on a night out and drink alcohol literally the night before an international competition doesn't make much sense. If that was how the GB team operated in real life, I'd be very worried, therefore it's obviously just a plot device put in place to create conflict failing to reflect any sort of reality.

However those are just little gripes. What really brought this film down was the clichéd plot points. We've got the arguments in the team which threaten to stop them winning, the forced romance which breaks down due to a misunderstanding and character arcs like the main character not working well in teams and the rich girl whose father does away with her if she doesn't win. These have all been done before, are executed poorly in this film and lack any depth as we know full well what will happen the moment we see them.

They could have included an interesting plot point which connects to athletics, such as the main character being offered performance enhancing drugs or maybe delving deeper into how the main character got into running. But no, you could pretty much put this film's storyline into any sports movie and it would still work. Well, I say work, what I mean is produce the same forced and bland garbage that these kind of films have developed into over the years.

All in all, the characters have no chemistry, the film is detached from reality and the plot points are very predictable.

Do I really need to tell you what happens in the end? Didn't think so.

Good writing and acting. the characters they portray seem like real people,like the ones you know. I enjoyed this but the ending but typical.

With the London Olympics fast approaching, what better way to cash in on the mood with a film about Female Athletics....that doesn't mention the Olympics at all or make any references to London. Nevertheless, the story is enjoyable, depicting a group of athletes trying to win relay success at the ''world championships'' despite having barely any practice, getting drunk before races and generally arguing with each other. Classic British spirit there.

Our main characters Shania and Lisa, come from different backgrounds, Shania is working-class (we know this, as she claims she's never even been on a plane before!) whilst Lily is posh and supported by her family. Ignoring the fact that this is basically Bend It Like Beckham 2, the story works like a soap, at times it felt like an Olympic special of Eastenders, even featuring the actress who played ''Chelsea'' in the soap. There's drama, affairs and fights, alongside the minor issue of the actual Athletics.

Written by Noel Clarke (Kidulthood/Adulthood creator), the film is very fast paced, and has that ''urban'' soundtrack to please teenagers. It essentially does what it says on the tin and you will find yourself caring about who wins the big race at the end!

6/10

I didn't have high hopes for this film before I went to see it because I thought it was just going to be predictable. But it was amazing! You really connect with the main character through her athletic career and you are on the edge of your seat in the races. I went to see it with a couple of friends just for a day out and we came out of the cinema very happy - much happier than expected! As Fast Girls is just out at the cinema, it hasn't got a review yet on IMDb and I was unsure whether to see it, as I usually only see a film that is 7 or above. I think that this film is well worth at least an 8! Comedy, the Olympics and a little bit of romance... what more could you want?