2 Seconds


2 Seconds is a 1998 Canadian drama film. This film premiered in 1999 at the Sundance Film Festival. Written and directed by Manon Briand, 2 Seconds stars Charlotte Laurier as Laurie, a bisexual woman who takes a job as a bike courier in Montreal after being fired from her previous job as a professional downhill racer.

Synopsis

Laurie is forcefully retired as a downhill racer when her concerns about her signs of aging cause her to lose her last race by 2 seconds. Laurie and the one bike she was allowed to keep then move in with her geeky, physics-loving brother who is trying very hard to find a girlfriend. While putting her bike together, Laurie discovers that she is missing a gear on her bicyclette so she makes do with what she has. Because of this, she breaks the chain on her bike one day, leading to her meeting with her soon-to-be best friend Lorenzo. Lorenzo is an ex Italian professional racer who currently works as a bike mechanic in his own bike shop. offered her a job at the bicycle company, but one of her co workers, Willie, tries to make her life miserable. After talking to Lorenzo, Laurie figures out what she needs to do to help herself and try to resolve things.

Reception

Critical reception

Brendan Kelly of Variety praised the film, saying "there is no shortage of nifty visual flourishes...Soundtrack is an appropriately cool urban mix of jazz and modern-rock sounds." The Melbourne International Film Festival called it "An understated film with an extraordinarily simple premise"

Awards

YearAwardCategoryRecipientsResults
1998Montreal [World Film Festival]Best Canadian FilmManon BriandWon
1998Montreal [World Film Festival]Best DirectorManon BriandWon
1998Montreal World Film FestivalMontréal award of the best First Fiction FilmManon BriandWon
1998Montreal World Film FestivalGrand Prix des AmeriquesManon Briand
1998Montreal World Film FestivalFedEx Award of the best Canadian Film2 secondes Won
1998Namur International Festival of French-Speaking FilmBest First ScreenplayManon BriandWon
19991st Jutra AwardsBest PictureRoger Frappier
19991st Jutra AwardsBest DirectorManon Briand
19991st Jutra AwardsBest ActorDino Tavarone
19991st Jutra AwardsBest ActressCharlotte Laurier
19991st Jutra AwardsBest ScreenplayManon Briand
19991st Jutra AwardsBest SoundYvon Benoît, Martin Pinsonnault, Hans Peter Strobl, Louis Hone
19991st Jutra AwardsBest EditingRichard Comeau