The Flying Scotsman does not stray far from genre convention. This is the story of a cycle courier whose sheer determination was enough to win him four world records. That he did so on a bike of his own design, cobbled together with spare parts from a washing machine while managing bouts of depression, makes his story the stuff of legend. Graeme O’Bree is played by a dour Jonny Lee Miller who drops his mannered style to convincingly portray the troubled man. As a bullied youngster, O’Bree found escape on a Christmas bicycle; it bestowed a sense of flight that as a troubled adult, became a way of life. That he could turn crippling self-doubt to his advantage with such spectacular results, makes this story unique.

Director Douglas Mackinnon wisely steers away from the cheery tone of similar can-do films like Peter Mullan’s On A Clear Day (which coincidentally starred  Billy Baxter in a role he reprises here). The Flying Scotsman balances O’Bree’s personal battles with those he faced on the racetrack. It’s not always successful - Steven Berkoff as a roguish World Cycling Federation official hits an off-note, as do a few scenes played for comic relief. Mackinnon is on much safer ground when dealing with O’Bree’s stubborn resolve and illness, managing both with visual and aural flair. More importantly, he does so with sincerity. Secondary relationships with the cyclist’s wife, manager and a sympathetic minister (Brian Cox) add weight without sentimentality. The Flying Scotsman is not just a film for cycling enthusiasts, it’s a bigger story than that. And while Mackinnon keeps the narrative in familiar territory, he does so with enough honesty and integrity to satisfy.

// COLIN FRASER