Marco Pantani - the Accidental Death of a Cyclist

mroli
mroli Posts: 3,622
edited August 2014 in Pro race
Went to the premiere of this today: http://pantanifilm.com/

Ned Boulting presented.

Initial thoughts were that it is a good piece of film-making, well worth a watch. Some good talking heads - Richard Williams, Matt Rendell and Bradley Wiggins, some excellent contemporary footage and good interviews with Pantani's family.

I thought that the film "sat on the fence" a little bit - presenting Pantani the talented natural, the drug taker, the cog in the cycling machine in equal measures without leading you to a decision.

A couple of bits grated - there was a clumsy "recreation" of a scene, a repeating shot of a revolving ultegra hub (presumably Pantani only rode Campag?!) and I'm sure period fans could find more faults

Couldn't stay for the Q&A unfortunately as I think that would have been interesting. Look forward to some other people seeing it and being able to discuss it!
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Comments

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,163
    I've plugged it once but it is being shown in Abergavenny on 23rd June as part of the fringe festival around the Nationals. It's a shame it isn't a bit later in the week when there will be more visitors in town for the racing but still good to see it's getting an airing http://www.abergavennycinema.co.uk
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,710
    Pross wrote:
    I've plugged it once but it is being shown in Abergavenny on 23rd June as part of the fringe festival around the Nationals. It's a shame it isn't a bit later in the week when there will be more visitors in town for the racing but still good to see it's getting an airing http://www.abergavennycinema.co.uk

    Me and my lot are going.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,941
    I went last night too, and was a bit disappointed to be honest. There were some nice early shots of his amateur career, but most of the pro footage is available to view online, so there wasn't really much new there.

    I'm just not really sure what the purpose of it was. If it was to celebrate the things that made him so revered, then I don't think it did that all that well (in new ways at least). If it was to explore his downfall, I'm not sure there was much in there that wasn't in the Rendell book.

    As a self confessed fan boy, it just didn't really do much for me. Maybe walking past the scene at Elephant roundabout yesterday on the way to the cinema put it all into perspective a bit, who knows, but it didn't really do much for me.
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    Oh well, it's showing in London on Sat & Sun if anyone's bothered. http://bit.ly/1oS1VSz
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • NervexProf
    NervexProf Posts: 4,202
    Interesting review here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/r ... igure.html
    Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Le Commentateur wrote:
    Oh well, it's showing in London on Sat & Sun if anyone's bothered. http://bit.ly/1oS1VSz

    Curzon's the most expensive cinema I've ever been to. Horrendous.
    _
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    OK, DVD it is then.
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Le Commentateur wrote:
    Oh well, it's showing in London on Sat & Sun if anyone's bothered. http://bit.ly/1oS1VSz

    Curzon's the most expensive cinema I've ever been to. Horrendous.

    seconded. terrible place.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,541
    £19 for a cinema ticket!
  • RideOnTime
    RideOnTime Posts: 4,712
    I don't think this is gonna make me happy... :cry::cry::cry::cry:
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    FWIW, I think it's pretty good and worth seeing.

    Doesn't fawn over Pantani but it's judgemental either.

    Only annoying things were the Ultegra hub and the guy being Pantani but climbing on the hoods.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • skylla
    skylla Posts: 758
    iainf72 wrote:
    FWIW, I think it's pretty good and worth seeing.

    Doesn't fawn over Pantani but it's judgemental either.

    Only annoying things were the Ultegra hub and the guy being Pantani but climbing on the hoods.

    Tsk Tsk. Whatever happened to method acting.
  • florerider
    florerider Posts: 1,112
    one of the incidental scenes struck me - LA on Ventoux, one hand on the bars, the other holding his radio talk button. Spot any similarities to a more recent ascent?
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    iainf72 wrote:
    FWIW, I think it's pretty good and worth seeing.

    Doesn't fawn over Pantani but it's judgemental either.

    Only annoying things were the Ultegra hub and the guy being Pantani but climbing on the hoods.
    That's a bit of a rookie error :? Pantani was kind of known for climbing in the drops
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  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Saw this last night in Chapter, Cardiff. Thought it was really good actually and very poignant.
    florerider wrote:
    one of the incidental scenes struck me - LA on Ventoux, one hand on the bars, the other holding his radio talk button. Spot any similarities to a more recent ascent?

    Wasn't that when LA was on the phone to someone, having a nice chat? A bit different from gasping down the radio to the DS.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • durhamwasp
    durhamwasp Posts: 1,247
    just watched it, and thought it was good viewing - better than I thought.

    Another reminder of how frustrating that drugs era was, he would still have been dominant in a clean peloton. Funny to think that Pantani basically had to be found positive (for one reason or another) but Armstrong (fair enough the years immediately after) absolutely couldn't be found positive.
    http://www.snookcycling.wordpress.com - Reports on Cingles du Mont Ventoux, Alpe D'Huez, Galibier, Izoard, Tourmalet, Paris-Roubaix Sportive & Tour of Flanders Sportive, Amstel Gold Xperience, Vosges, C2C, WOTR routes....
  • florerider
    florerider Posts: 1,112
    Difference between continental and US attitudes to doping? Different legal systems is the most likely cause though.
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    If Nibali wins, he will be the first Italian since Marco Pantani to win on the Tour. And he made a promise to Pantani's mother : "If I succeed him, it will be a great honor. His mother gave me one of Marco's yellow jerseys and I promised her that I will give her one of mine, if all goes well"
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    On the subject of films, Slaying the Badger will be on ESPN (UK) on 27th July (last day of the Tour)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • mm1
    mm1 Posts: 1,063
    Public Prosecutor Rimini saying that Pantani may have been murdered! http:/cyclingtips.com.au/2014/08/report-rimini-public-prosecutor-believes-pantani-may-have-been-murdered/
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    Yes, they've reopened the case, following the coroner's finding that the amount of cocaine in his body was not compatible with conventional use and he might have been forced to drink it
    left the forum March 2023
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    Any idea why have they just noticed this now? Sounds like it'd be a pretty obvious thing to check the level of the drug before you declare it was a "normal" overdose.
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Yes, they've reopened the case, following the coroner's finding that the amount of cocaine in his body was not compatible with conventional use and he might have been forced to drink it
    Mother - Private Investigation - New Magistrate is a bit more than just reopening the case.
    cyclingnews wrote:
    However Pantani's mother always refused to accept the verdict of the police investigation, citing numerous errors

    According to a new private investigation document submitted to police, Pantani was said to have been forced to drink cocaine mixed with water after being held to the ground. The amount of cocaine found in his body is alleged to have been so high that there was no other way he could have induced it. A half-empty bottle can be seen in photos of the scene, but the bottle was apparently never tested for fingerprints nor were its contents checked.

    The new evidence and detailed accusations that go against the original investigation conclusions were submitted last week to the Rimini prosecutor, who immediately opened a new investigation for homicide and appointed a new magistrate to the case.
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    adr82 wrote:
    Any idea why have they just noticed this now? Sounds like it'd be a pretty obvious thing to check the level of the drug before you declare it was a "normal" overdose.

    Got the feeling is a mixture of bad forensic mixed with the usual pathetic Italian Justice system, that takes 10 years to do anything.
    I still remember when Berlusconi was found guilty and innocent on the same day, in separate trials related to events spanning over 2 decades

    In Italy they can serve you an espresso in 20 seconds, but if you want justice, you might wait 20 years... still, when I queue at Costa and it needs three members of staff to make one coffee, I wish I was in Italy... :?
    left the forum March 2023
  • mm1
    mm1 Posts: 1,063
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    adr82 wrote:
    Any idea why have they just noticed this now? Sounds like it'd be a pretty obvious thing to check the level of the drug before you declare it was a "normal" overdose.

    Got the feeling is a mixture of bad forensic mixed with the usual pathetic Italian Justice system, that takes 10 years to do anything.
    I still remember when Berlusconi was found guilty and innocent on the same day, in separate trials related to events spanning over 2 decades

    In Italy they can serve you an espresso in 20 seconds, but if you want justice, you might wait 20 years... still, when I queue at Costa and it needs three members of staff to make one coffee, I wish I was in Italy... :?

    Reminds me of Matt Frie's book about Italy (written when he was the BBC's Rome correspondent), bemused by the many tiny rules that govern everyday life in an apparently lawless country. When Willy Brandt was chancellor of West Germany, he started off thinking that Italy was the sick man of Europe, but came to realise that the irrelevance of the state is key to Italy's strength.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Rendell comments:
    http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/08/rende ... nce-i-saw/
    Contador is the Greatest

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