TT3D: Closer to the Edge

Did You Know?

• A conventional (non-3D) transfer was released in Australia on DVD in 2012 as TT Closer to the Edge by Icon Film Distribution Pty Ltd.
• The DVD pack includes a separate disc of extras with interviews featuring Guy Martin, Richard 'Milky' Quayle, Bridget Dobbs, Stephen Davison, John McGuinness, Jenny Tinmouth, Nick Crowe, and Conor Cummins.
• The extras disc also contains John McGuinness's father's home movies.

Synopsis

The film covers the buildup to the 2010 races and documents each race and its results, held on public roads through the Isle of Man covering 37.73 miles. Thousands of spectators from around the world attend. Using 3D technology, it explores what motivates the racers. Featured riders include Guy Martin, John McGuinness, Conor Cummins, and Ian Hutchinson. McGuinness is the most successful living TT rider with fifteen wins. In 2009 Hutchinson won two TTs in one day and also competed in the North West 200 and British Superstock Championship. The narration states that for over 100 years the TT has demanded commitment beyond other racing events, with over 200 deaths since the race began. The second half introduces Bridget Dobbs, widow of Paul Dobbs who died in the 2010 races; she accepts he died doing what he loved. The film shows that survivors of near-fatal injuries want to return and race again.

Production

Richard de Aragues, a motorsports and commercial director, used archive footage along with 3D and high-definition equipment. He said that previous tools could not do justice to the Mountain Circuit. The film was produced by CinemaNX, backed by the Isle of Man Government, and shot in the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, England, New Zealand, and Los Angeles, California. Jared Leto was announced as narrator in March 2011.

Critical reception

The film received universal acclaim, with a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 18 reviews as of February 2012. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a saturnalia of excitement with a spiritual sense of danger. Catherine Bray of Film4 also gave 4 out of 5, describing it as a thrilling, funny, and moving human drama. Graham Young of the Birmingham Post praised the film, noting that with a fatality for every corner, viewers will be on edge watching Guy Martin. Philip De Semlyen of Empire gave 4 out of 5, stating the Isle of Man TT is pure cinema. Philip French of The Observer wrote that the speeds are hair-raising and the riders more likable than Formula One participants. Anthony Quinn of The Independent gave 5 out of 5, noting that de Aragues never loses sight of the high-risk stakes.