When it comes to dramatic movies, the trials of a sports athlete is pretty low on the totem pole of interesting subjects. Most of the time, sports movies are designed to show off the human spirit; the ability of a person to overcome whatever obstacles life puts in front of them to achieve their dream of playing sports, often with an emphasis on winning. The common thing to do, though, is to single out a disability that's a hindrance to the individual: honor, self-worth, pride, or dreams. Road to Victory uniquely makes it about the athlete's field performance being affected by his responsibility to other individuals.
Completed in 2007, it has a year's head start on Aronofsky's The Wrestler on the premise of a fledging athlete developing a turbulent relationship with a stripper, and the body-use themes that arise from that pairing. Writer and director Mike Reilly himself stars as Elliot, a promising college football player on the cusp of a draft pick. But then he starts a relationship and move in with Anna (Julia Anderson), and she quickly discovers an area where the buff Elliot has no power whatsoever, and that it could be the result of his alleged and implied steroid abuse.
The general pitch and set-up of the film of course makes it seem like Road to Victory—a cheesy title that's surely misleading, perhaps deliberately—is a "ripped from the headlines" story about steroid use in sports, with the impotence acting as the cautionary tale, but Reilly does something very surprising here, which is to shift the focus of the movie away from sports altogether and explore in almost painful detail Elliot's deteriorating relationship with Anna. You think you're about to watch a sports movie about steroids, but then you find yourself in the middle of a mature relationship drama about erectile dysfunction.
The conflict and sexual decline portrayed here can work just as well with a middle-aged coupling, therefore it's a theme that's relatable to (or at least food for thought for) all couples watching the film beyond just steroid users, but that of course doesn't have the same impact as two attractive college kids facing the frustration of being physically incapable of taking advantage of their youth. Many times, the film will steer you into siding with Anna's frustration: she's still young and she's done everything to support Elliot but nothing's working, and their situation makes her life miserable. Why should she continue to deal with it? Maybe it is a good idea for her to end it. Then the film shows Elliot's sadness and anger in trying to cope with losing the use of a body part that's, let's face it, considered the most significant in a man, and the dynamic resets again.
This push-pull continues for most of the film. It's relentlessly depressing, but it's an important subject that understandably doesn't get a lot of play in the so-called entertainment industry. Mike Reilly displays the smarts to pinpoint the balancing point between sex and emotional understanding in a healthy relationship, and attacks it from a variety of angles by letting sexual frustration dig up other relationship issues like fidelity and fertility, thus keeping the drama interesting as opposed to just constant "Why doesn't your dick work?!" cheap shots. The production value of the film may look poor and the dialogue often clunky, but the story behind it is solid and the two leads nail the performances necessary to convey this relationship.
Road to Victory is available now on Netflix Instant Watch. You can also rent or buy a digital copy on Amazon.
Watch Out! is a feature on JustPressPlay where Arya Ponto showcases lesser-known, lesser-appreciated and often bizarre small films that are cool and deserve to get some attention. Venture here to see all previous entries.
