Road review – agony-packed look at Northern Ireland's TT daredevils

Three years ago, Richard de Aragues's film TT3D Closer to the Edge introduced newcomers like me to the extraordinary world of motorbike road racing and the TT event on the Isle of Man, an institution so terrifyingly dangerous it is virtually a death cult. The shadow of death is ever-present, perhaps more than in any other sport, even Formula One. Now Dermot Lavery and Michael Hewitt's documentary Road returns us to this same world, focusing on the sport's legendary riders from Northern Ireland: brothers Joey and Robert Dunlop and Robert's sons William and Michael. It is a startling film, though I confess I could have done without the backing music and the slightly ponderous narration from Liam Neeson, speaking at about 70% normal speed, to insist on how tragic and portentous the story is: there is plenty of emotional reminiscence from interviewees, and shrewd commentary, noting that the euphoria of victory cancels out the terrible pain of loss. True enough. Yet it looks as if the tragedy, the agony and the bereavement are all a real part of the euphoria. Is road racing supposed to look this dysfunctional? I don't know. Well – an arresting story.