Hottoceame The Age of Commercialism

Nonureva Really Surprised!

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

GwydionMW Set in 1999, post-APartheid South African, this film begins with an elderly white brickworks manager who has a strong interest in long-distance running.He has been training some of his employees for a ultra-long-distance race, the Comrades Marathon. Deprived of this, he finds himself at a loose end.He then notices Christine, a young Blakc African woman who regularly runs long distances and has never had any training. She is an illegal immigrant, who faced hostility from some of the local Black Africans. When she is arrested, he gets her released and invites her to live with him. He has no sexual interest in her - she later describes it as being viewed like a racehorse.Christing several times asserts herself. The film culminates in her taking part in the actual race.I found that there was rather too much about the dull relationship between coach and runner. A better film would have shown flashbacks to the past of the race, not always open to blacks or women, and to the coach's own past as a runner. Still, it gave an authentic-seeming view of South Africa and the running culture.

brianweissman88 Well, I only caught the tail end of this film on HBO, just the final 10 minutes or so, but I must say that it contains probably the most laughable depiction of distance running EVER put on film! I'm a serious distance runner and a dedicated fan of the sport, and I've sat through many painful demonstrations in movies before. However, nothing could have ever prepared me for what is shown on screen in the final 10 minutes of this movie, it literally defies belief! The depiction of the runners is even more ironic considering that African runners completely dominate the sport, and they are elegant and graceful. The female protagonist shuffles along like an overweight pregnant woman, and her "highly trained" male supporters are no better. Well into the race this alleged world class runner is surrounded by pudgy, overweight people, many of whom are WALKING! I find it interesting that the director decided to have her lead the female competition, yet near the end she is shown passing people who look like they're staggering along on two broken legs! Are we to believe that this amazing stellar athlete has only overtaken a crippled person at the very end of the race? Maybe the director just thinks that female runners can't run faster than 12 minute miles, and he has obviously never heard of athletes like Paula Radcliffe or Tirunesh Dibaba.Even if you aren't a running fan you'll be astonished by the insanely inaccurate portrayal of running, and this movie is only watchable as unintentional comedy. Here is a note to the director: The next time you decide to make a movie about a sport, it might be worth it to hire at least one person who actually has observed that sport in action.

technolog Armin Mueller Stahl plays a running coach in South Africa to perfection. He tried running the famous 90 Km "Comrade Marathon" when he was younger but never completed it. Now he is trying his best to achieve that missed goal by training a young African woman to succeed where he has failed. This story is not just about running, but about exceeding limits that you set for yourself and doing things that you did not think were possible. It also gives you a picture of whites and blacks in South Africa today. This is an uplifting movie which can be watched by the entire family.

TimeForLime I rate this a "seven" because the film brings together several treatments which combine nicely.The best treatment is the study of Barry, played by ARMIN MUELLER-STAHL, an Old-Man-and-the Sea type, a monomaniac, misfit sports coach with a questioned past, slipping into oblivion. He clings to just one race as his reason for being: a tough 90 kilo run, hence The Long Run. This character study alone ranks the film as a watcher.The second treatment is the quiet and serene, still-waters-run-deep dignity of the African runner. This treatment is not enough to support the whole film. She is from Pretoria, and is an ideal-type, too-good-to-be-true. Character development is missing except in the one important sense that is key to the film. In the face of hardships both historical and current, and harboring some doubts as to what she is capable of, she grows in strength and breadth from the hardships of race preparation.The third treatment is fairly formulaic: the David-beats-Goliath sports film. From Hong Kong martial arts film to G-rated knock-offs, the combination of stalwart heart plus beloved underdog is successful again. In this film, other issues obscure the routine set-up, thus providing a slight sense of 'maturity'.The fourth and final treatment is Africa itself. Once or twice each decade,we are treated to a major Hollywood film bringing us the sights and sounds and smells of this most enchanting and provocative continent. THE LONG RUN was shot in South Africa. What we see in the background could just was well be viewed in several of the surrounding countries as well. Alas, the film's creators give us only meager examples of this land and life : a brick factory, some runners, and a taste of scenery. Much more could have been included.Propaganda angles surrounding any such film could damage it. It has not the robustness of, for example, HOTEL RWANDA. I was caught up in the beauty and the story. That was enough for me ,,, and I hope, for you.