Movies
Now that the pro cycling seasoned is official over, I figured it would be nice to give this film a go. Turns out this isn't really a film about cycling, I even wonder if director Yates ever watched an entire cycling classic/stage. Breaking Away is really a coming-of-age drama about a boy who loves to cycle. It's a decent enough coming-of-age drama, with likeable characters, but it's also pretty forgettable. The drama is expected, the cycling bits are poorly executed, and the styling is negligible. Throw in some basic romance and a cookie cutter sports finale, and you should have a pretty good idea of what to expect.Read all
A precursor to the cinema of the 70s. Gritty, and somewhat more intense, while also having that little dash of experimentation that made the 60s an interesting era for cinema. Bullitt isn't a typical action film, it's way too controlled and stylized, it's just that I didn't really care for Yates' choices here. There's not much dialogue, a lot of the work is done by the cinematography and the score. I appreciate the idea, but the score was quite grating and the dull colors and static camera work weren't the most appealing. Still, it's a lot better than similar attempts from that time. Slightly better than expected.Read all