2 Seconds

Technically, Laurie, the lead character in 2 Seconds is bisexual. But really, more than anything she’s bikesexual. But you know what they say, you can’t spell bicycle without bi.

Laurie begins the film as a competitive downhill racer. Biking is everything to her. But after a poor race, she’s dropped from the competitive circuit. Laurie returns to Montreal and tries to adjust to a more normal life. Bikes are still her biggest passion, though. So, Laurie becomes a bike courier. Riding in the city is different than competitive racing. And Laurie’s life has more distractions. Many of the other couriers don’t like her. And Lorenzo, the owner of the bicycle repair shop is cranky and unhelpful. At first. Slowly, Laurie wears Lorenzo down. He becomes something of a mentor to her. But not in bicycling, but in leading a balanced life.

There isn’t a whole lot of plot to 2 Seconds. Laurie just really likes bikes. Her other co-workers dislike her mostly so there can be some conflict to an otherwise perfect job for her. It also takes her until pretty late in the movie to decide to work for a more balanced life. Really, most of the movie is just Laurie’s deep, abiding, all consuming love for bikes.

What brings up this simple story is the film’s editing. This is some great work at keeping the story moving. It’s a frantic and dynamic looking story. It really brings you into Laurie’s fast-paced, somewhat risky world. Something about the filing and editing also occasionally gives it an apocalyptic feel. Especially at the start. 1990s French Canada really be out here looking like a Mad Max wasteland.

Laurie’s sexuality initially comes up when Lorenzo asks about her love life. We see two flashbacks of Laurie in bed with a partner, one a man and one a woman. In both cases, Laurie excuses herself from sex due to bike-related reasons. By the end of the film, Laurie has a female love interest known as La Belle. I think this name tells you a lot about this character. She’s not exactly fleshed out, but more of an ideal. But not even an ideal dream girl. La Belle’s presence more represents Laurie having a balanced life which includes more than biking. While I always love queer representation, 2 Seconds could’ve done without it. Laurie could’ve still found balance without romance. Without this last scene placing Laurie in a relationship, this character easily reads as asexual.

2 Seconds feels like a proto-Premium Rush. It’s mostly a lot of biking held together by frenetic, successful editing. There’s really just a glance of sexuality. Laurie’s life and priorities are really divided into two categories: things that are bikes, and things that are not. If she can ever find a partner who she places in the “bike” category, that will be her strongest relationship. For all that she learned about having a more well-rounded life, Laurie’s first love and priority remains the noble art of bicycling.

Overall rating: 6.4/10

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