Road to Victory (2007)

Thanks for the memories!

Memorable, crazy movie

Fantastic!

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I saw this film with my entire family at the Village D-Cinema in Lisbon. Some scenes are tough to watch sitting next to parents. I liked how the movie didn't try to make the main character seem like Superman. He was just trying to be good at being a football player but it screwed up his life. I expected him to win the Superbowl in the end, but the movie had a very serious feel to it.Given how important family was to the film, the end made the other scenes that were uncomfortable to watch because of sexual stuff worth it. The football scenes were also good, and the strip club scenes were cool too, but it would have been better to see more naked girls.I talked about this film to my friends a lot afterward, and I think I liked the film even better once I'd had a chance to think about it some more. I am looking forward to seeing it again, and hopefully showing other people so I can hear their opinions.

I think that most people will generally like this film, as the ultimate message is universal. But, I think it really speaks on a much more profound level to those of us who have shared some of the character's experiences.When I was in college, I found out my boyfriend of 3 years was using steroids, and that he'd been using the entire time we'd been together, and before. He was buff but he wasn't a freak, and his job was as a personal trainer since he'd been an athlete when he was in college, so I never really suspected.To make a long story short, he started having health problems (like we see in the film), and the effects on the relationship were really bad. I won't betray that relationship now by giving details, but I stuck by him through all of it. When I finally found out about the steroid use, I confronted him, but he refused to talk about it. I told him to make a choice and he told me would stop.Two months later, I found out he'd lied; he chose the drugs over me. I left and never looked back, and this movie brought back a lot of emotions I thought I'd left behind. I really wanted the main character to confess, but he never did. But, I realize, because of my experience, that someone who uses steroids never does, (unless they're a retired pro athlete with a book to sell...Jose Canseco...Bill Romanowski)But what really got to me was how much the female lead (Anna) came to care about the main character (Elliot) and how much he wanted to let her in but couldn't. For me, it was the other side of the argument that I had never wanted to understand.It wasn't until the main character was confronted with the big picture, and given the ultimatum of choosing between a family and pro sport, (those he loved vs. the drugs) that he finally realized what he was doing. True to form, he never admits it, in fact he has to spend the rest of his life hiding from it, but he does accept responsibility.The movie really boils down to asking these two characters to examine the choices they are making with their lives, and the effect was that it made me, the audience do the same. Elliot says at the end of the movie that he "chose right."It really made me think about the number of times that I could say that I chose right about something so important.

Wow, what can I say - having seen countless numbers of indie films where the filmmakers seem to have no idea of what to do with their camera, or how to direct the actors, or when to cut, and when to let a beat hang, I can truly say that Road to Victory was a breath of fresh air. The story of this film is as original as I have seen in a LONG time, and doesn't rely on name talent to sell a poorly conceived storyline and performances.The subject matter of the film IS mature, and will cause giggles especially among audiences under 20, but after a few disarming scenes, the seriousness of Elliot's (Reilly) problem sinks in, and an emotional bond is created between viewer and protagonist which lasts the duration of the film. Anna (Anderson) is played both ruthlessly and tenderly and will evoke a broad range of emotion.Definitely a film worth catching in a theater or festival if you can, or you can just wait it out and pick it up on DVD once it's formally released.

Seriously, I've been going to festivals for years, and more times than not what I have been subjected to lately is complete crap.Road To Victory however, has true substance. Really, it's everything that we used to think of when it came to independent film: smart script, good acting, and aptly shot. And the subject matter of drug use in sport, along with the social commentary on medicine could not be more timely. We used to rely on independent film to tackle these subjects, so it is great to see that some filmmakers are still trying to do some good with their work.The trend of film festivals lately seems to be a name actor, or a gimmick, attached to a laurel leaf. Many festivals are starting to become the exact thing they started out not to be.I predict this film will be a hit on DVD once it is done playing at the festival circuits.