He never does quite understand why. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. 2,90 (35) 35 stemmen . Please click the link below to receive your verification email. | Rating: B+ But this isn't one of those rags-to-riches collections of sports clichés, about the kid who fights his way up to champion. |, May 30, 2018 Coming Soon. You can't help but think of Redford as ballsy for putting his good looking charmer clout on the line with performances like this. This is the point we miss when we persist in describing champions as regular, all-round Joes. |, May 30, 2018 Oct 10, 2020. She wants to make love to him, and does, but he is so limited, so incapable of understanding her or anything beyond his own image, that she drops him. Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email. Another skier replies: "Well, this isn't exactly a team sport.". Outside of Butch Cassidy and The Sting , Redford has always been one of the most introspective stars—not for him the more declarative, chest-beating style of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, or other actors of his remarkable generation. Ratings, review and more on Cinafilm.com Released November 6th, 1969, 'Downhill Racer' stars Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Camilla Sparv, Karl Michael Vogler The movie has a runtime of about 1 … Copyright © Fandango. There are the anonymous hotel rooms, one after another, and the deadening continual contact with the team members, and the efforts of the coach (Gene Hackman in a superb performance) to hold the team together and placate its financial backers in New York. | Fresh (23) Wildwood Enterprises, May 30, 2018 and the Terms and Policies, Movie Review: Downhill Racer The day after a raging house party , we didn’t want to do anything but decompress, and that essentially means movie time. Dating from 1969, Downhill Racer holds up remarkably well both as a character study and a visually impressive journey into the world of Olympic skiing. And there is Chappellet's casual affair with a girl (Camilla Sparv), who seems to be a sort of ski groupie. TWEET a review with the #JPMN hashtag, and have it featured! We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future. Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, Best Netflix Shows and Series To Binge (January 2021), The 100 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now (January 2021), 100 Best Movies on Amazon Prime To Watch (January 2021). and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. At one point, he's accused by a fellow American of not being a good "team man." Buy Movies. Several shots are positively astonishing when you consider that they are in no way manipulated or digitally altered, simply a man on skis flying down a hill with a 40-pound film camera in his hands. This skiing potboiler from Robert Redford's production company, Wildwood, has the whiff of vanity about it. Get Movies. Audience Reviews for Downhill. All rights reserved. Audience Reviews for Downhill Racer. Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. Downhill review – Ferrell and Louis-Dreyfus crash with redundant remake 2 / 5 stars 2 out of 5 stars. The rest of the time, he's a strangely cut-off person, incapable of feeling anything very deeply, incapable of communicating with anyone, incapable of love, incapable (even) of being very interesting. Without bothering to explain much of the technical aspect of skiing, "Downhill Racer" tells us more about the sport than we imagined a movie could. | Top Critics (9) Downhill Racer is a movie I'd always sort of wanted to see. Jun 05, 2013. One of Redford's best as the American ski team tries to shake up the European dominated sport on its home turf. A smug and overly self-assured downhill skier, David Chappellet (Robert Redford), joins the American ski team and quickly makes waves with his arrogant behavior and even flashier maneuvers on the slopes, falling into conflict with the team's coach (Gene Hackman). Redford plays a role he perfected in his career, like Roy Hobbs, a no-nonsense talent who just wants to do the job his way without any b.s.. Hackman also portrays a character he would become well known for, the determined coach. Together they form a portrait of a man that is so complete, and so tragic, that "Downhill Racer" becomes the best movie ever made about sports -- without really being about … And it does a skillful job of involving us in the competition without really being a movie about competition. Criterion have provided a beautiful video transfer and left the original ja here fly flawed sound design. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. Downhill Racer Movie Review Summary. Well crafted film (about to be released on Criterion) about the US ski team in the late 60's. Micheal Ritchie creates a very real film that is almost like watching a Maysles' documentary at times (who could have foreseen he would go on to make movies like Bad News Bears and Fletch). Coming Soon. |. The champions in any field have got to be, to some degree, fanatics. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 89 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Lots of good skiing action leading to an exciting climax. Sign up here. With Redford going through the motions, Gene Hackman as the US national ski team coach is the liveliest thing in Downhill Racer , … Robert Redford, in the title role, plays an egotistical loner aiming for Olympic Gold. Forgot your password? Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer. One of Redford's best as the American ski team tries to shake up the European dominated sport on its home turf. It's the little things that create this film's powerful atmosphere, and as a result the action sequences are all the more gripping. Regal The supplemental features include an awesome interview with Redford and Salter that stood out as one of the better supplements from Criterion’s disks to … As I got a little older (and balder), I learned a little more about the movie, such as that it was directed by one of my favorites - Michael Ritchie. He seems incapable of friendships, relationships, and even communicating with anyone. |, May 30, 2018 Cinemark More often than not, races are shot from the racer's point of view, and there are long takes that nearly produce vertigo as we hurtle down a mountain. |, May 30, 2018 Redford is the quintessential American loner, out for his own goals and not interested in serving the needs of his sport, his team, or the international press. Just confirm how you got your ticket. Watch Downhill Racer movie trailer and get the latest cast info, photos, movie review and more on TVGuide.com. I also loved the way the film was shot almost like a documentary and it made you feel as if you were on the slopes with him whereas now they would just prop him up in front of a green screen and call it a day. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. Learn more Overall, just one of those gems from the period that I don't think will ever rise again. Downhill Racer, released the same year as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and now debuting on DVD, is one of the great unheralded films of the late ’60s. There is no humility at all in the racer's character: Not that there should be. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! |, December 10, 2007 We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. It was blue and it looked kinda flashy. Great camerawork and a great ending. With Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Camilla Sparv, Karl Michael Vogler. MRQE Metric: See what the critics had to say and watch the trailer. His roommate sums up his goals when he observes of David, "He's not for the team, and he never will be"; but precisely who the David is that David is so fiendishly striving for we're never to learn. Directed by Michael Ritchie. I love sports but I hate sports movies. Don’t worry, it won’t take long. To be the world's best skier, or swimmer, or chess player, you've got to overdevelop that area of your ability while ignoring almost everything else. Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Downhill Racer; David Chappellet (Redford), a rebellious and hardheaded skier, is trying out for the US Ski Team. An intriguing film that balances skiing and the majesty of Alpine scenery with an absorbing story of hero Robert Redford, young American innocent abroad. Since there were seven of us, we picked seven movies and had each person eliminate one, ending with this movie that none of us had ever heard of. Downhill Racer movie reviews & Metacritic score: Quietly cocky David Chappellet (Robert Redford) joins the U.S. ski team as downhill racer and clashes with … Everything is explained and nothing is left for interpretation. Quietly cocky Robert Redford joins U.S. ski team as downhill racer and clashes with the team's coach, played by Gene Hackman. The image is an example of a ticket confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your ticket. Th[e] astounding ending absolves the film of all its other sins, including a screeching score and choppy scene transitions[.]. | Rating: 2/5 Coming Soon. Don't have an account? I liked the fact that it went away from the total cliches of most sports films and thought it was interesting to see Redford play such a almost souless person whose entire existence is about going faster and ultimately winning. user reviews for the latest English Drama Sports movie Downhill Racer release in 1969 on BookMyShow critic reviews for the latest English Drama Sports movie Downhill Racer release in 1969 on BookMyShow Excitingly adept in its presentation of potentially ruinous ambition, Downhill Racer continues to exceed expectations of formula and tone. | Rating: 7/10 Downhill Racer (1969) mijn stem. Please reference “Error Code 2121” when contacting customer service. It's closer in tone to the stories of the real champions of our time: Sandy Koufax, Muhammad Ali, Joe Namath, who were the best and knew they were the best and made no effort to mask their arrogance. The movie avoids the cheerleading approach of today`s sports sagas (Rocky, etc. This is the kind of man that "Downhill Racer" is about: David Chappellet, a member of the U.S. skiing team, who fully experiences his humanity only in the exhilaration of winning. Some of the best moments in "Downhill Racer" are moments during which nothing special seems to be happening. Downhill Racer plunges the viewer thrillingly into the action of the sport -- and continues to hold the attention as a thoughtful drama. Robert Redford plays this person very well, even though it must have been difficult for Redford to contain his own personality within such a limited character. |, November 16, 2009 A sports movie that tweaks the formula just enough to make a personal, thoughtful film without refuting genre expectation. He plays a man who does nothing well except ski downhill -- and does that better than anyone. You're almost there! By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. |, October 20, 2020 | Rating: A He is not likable in the least sense, but I enjoyed watching him and kind of understood where he was coming from even if he was being a complete asshole about it. Fine first feature from the once wonderful Ritchie, concentrating - as in so much of his work (The Candidate, Smile, Semi-Tough) - on the cost and rewards of wi Downhill Racer doesn't always work... As a look at how [Robert] Redford's character and those orbiting him spend their time between runs, however, it's superb. The percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given this movie a positive review. Feels like a dumbed-down version of the 2014 Force Majeure which inspired this movie. Check out the exclusive TVGuide.com movie review and see our movie rating for Downhill Racer Join / Sign Up Keep track of your favorite shows and movies, across all your devices. Read movie and film review for Downhill Racer (1969) - Michael Ritchie on AllMovie - If any film could be described as "exhilaratingly… Cinemark | Rating: 4/5 By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy A rivalry also develops between David and Johnny Creech (Jim McMullan), the man who considered the team's best skier, as both push themselves and each other in a race to the Olympic Games. Movie Review: Downhill Racer (1969) A star vehicle for Robert Redford, but the star is disinterested and the vehicle badly needs a tune-up. It may be the first film in history that starts at the top, goes steadily downhill, and still stays interesting along the way. Is Downhill Racer any good? ), but it has a fascinating ending, and is very satisfying. Downhill Racer is a good movie with plenty to enjoy. Robert Redford plays David Chappellet, a cocky, self centered ski racer. Director Michael Ritchie's (The Golden Child) debut film is a tense and taut look at the world of Olympic skiing. In the end, Chappellet conquers his goal. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Downhill Racer at Amazon.com. They're moments devoted to capturing the angle of a glance, the curve of a smile, an embarrassed silence. Downhill Racer stands as lean condemnation of the calculating underdog clichs Rocky would bring make the norm. The joy of these action sequences is counterpointed by the daily life of the ski amateur. Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. I particularly enjoyed the small town Yank abroad aspect of the piece though the ski sequences are formidable, exhilarating. An unnecessary English language remake of … Movie reviews for Downhill Racer. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. This 10-digit number is your confirmation number. The vast majority of films of this kind I have ever seen have exactly the same tedious outcome of triumph over adversity, the same predictable procession of events almost every single sodding time. And it looks as if they shot it last year, not 40+ years ago. The website's critics consensus reads, "Downhill Racer plunges the viewer thrillingly into the action of the sport -- and continues to hold the attention as a thoughtful drama." Together they form a portrait of a man that is so complete, and so tragic, that "Downhill Racer" becomes the best movie ever made about sports -- without really being about sports at all. His only goal is winning and becoming a champion. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. It isn't; downhill racing is an intensely individual sport, and we feel that through some remarkable color photography. Downhill Racer becomes the best movie ever made about sports -- without really being about sports at all. --Roger Ebert-- The percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or higher. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. Earn 125 points on every ticket you buy. He clashes with his coach and teammates. Rack up 500 points and you'll score a $5 reward for more movies. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". Downhill Racer movie reviews & Metacritic score: Quietly cocky David Chappellet (Robert Redford) joins the U.S. ski team as downhill racer and clashes with … Downhill Racer is a quite significant journey out of my comfort zone because, as I've mentioned once or twice, I hate sports movies. There are no approved quotes yet for this movie. One of the great unheralded films of the late '60s. Movie reviews for Downhill Racer. Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. |, July 1, 2020 The movie balances nicely between this level, and the exuberance of its outdoor location photography. | Rating: 3/4 Verenigde Staten Drama / Sport 101 minuten geregisseerd door Michael Ritchie met Robert Redford, Gene Hackman en Camilla Sparv David Chappellet is roekeloos maar kwalificeert zich wel … Downhill Racer (1969) Reviews on Cinafilm.com - An ambitious young skier, determined to break all existing records, is contemptuous of the teamwork advocated by the US coach when they go… Cinafilm has over seven million movie reviews and counting … Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. The Sister Sacrifices Logic, Tension as Its Twists Unravel, Visions of Friendship: Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin on The Climb, The Lynchian Aspirations of Losing Alice Underwhelm Rather Than Intrigue, CW Reboots Walker but Forgets to Give Him a Personality. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets MRQE Metric: See what the critics had to say and watch the trailer. Downhill Racer, a 1969 movie about competitive skiing, is a sports movie that tweaks the formula just enough to make a personal, thoughtful film without refuting genre expectation. Downhill Racer remains the seminal skiing movie (unless one prefers the slob humor of Hot Dog: The Movie), but it's also about bigger themes. They're moments devoted to capturing the angle of a glance, the curve of a smile, an embarrassed silence. Wildwood, Coming Soon, Regal Some of the best moments in "Downhill Racer" are moments during which nothing special seems to be happening. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 85% based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 7.13/10. | Rotten (4). I remember the video box from when I was but a wee little critic. In the end, "Downhill Racer" succeeds so well that instead of wondering whether the hero will win the Olympic race, we want to see what will happen to him if he does. Downhill Racer Synopsis: David Chappellet is a mean-spirited skier, who profits from another skier's injury to gain a spot on the American Olympic team. • Downhill Racer (1969) -- Aged well, but not interesting, 4/10. A modest effort but a good one. Actors: Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Dabney Coleman, Camilla Sparv, Walter Stroud . The other, Downhill Racer, defines a facet of his screen personality, and has received the Criterion Collection treatment on standard DVD. If they were, they wouldn't be champions. All Critics (27) Downhill Racer (1969) Movie Reviews - Cinafilm has 69 reviews of Downhill Racer from movie critics and film fans. 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