Movie Reviews for The Long Run

The Long Run

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Movie Reviews of The Long Run

Movie Review: A Pyschological Running Movie
Summary: 5 Stars

Don't let the "R" rating on this movie scare you from seeing it, or from showing it to your family. Yes, there is a shower scene where the black runners are showering, and a scene where Christine skinny-dips in a water tank, but it is very discreet and in no way offensive. The language is not worse than in many PG movies.

Furthermore, the morality is largely consistent with traditional values. Bertold (the coach) takes Christine into his little home because he has noplace else to live, but makes it very clear that she will be completely safe. Later, Christine's boyfriend wants her to move in with him, but she refuses. Throughout the movie the main characters show concern for their moral character, as well as their dedication to winning the big race. As with all these sports dramas, it comes as no surprise that Christine won the big race.

What makes this movie so compelling is the psychology, both of Bertold and Christine. Bertold failed at the race twice, so he is sort of trying to relive the race through Christine. He thinks of nothing else as he does his best to train her. Christine, not understanding the male singular focus on training, longs for social interaction. The story pivots on how they handle these different perspectives.

Parents can feel comfortable showing this movie to at least junior high kids. It wonderfully gives a South African feel to the whole story. Family discussion could revolve around understanding both psychological perspectives and how one's own kids would work to resolve the conflict. This is a surprisingly good movie, much better than Prefontaine (written by the same writer). The only better running movie I've seen is "Chariots of Fire."

Movie Review: Good acting, good story, Armin is beautiful
Summary: 5 Stars

I was surprised when, by accident, I watched this movie in HBO in Malaysia. I just had to get a copy of DVD from the United Kingdom as the seller in U.S. would not ship it here. This is not only a good story, in spite of being just a simple racing and "love" story, but I observed the acting of Armin (Berry, the coach) and I fell in love with him. The heroine is a cute, beautiful African actress, fresh and young, and her acting is so down to earth, you think you are living among all the characters in this movie. The dancing scene at the local bar is so funny, and the embrace at the ending tells it all. His denial of love for Christine, and Christine's free spirit and at the same time, her love for the older man is obvious from the very beginning. Well, its just a lovely, charming story and good race! Loved the "bus" boys also, and Terror! Even Gaza is a good actor that shows his ego get in the way and envy of the old coach. I would recommend this to all, men and women. Its good, romantic and funny.

Movie Review: More than just about a race, it is about South Africa today
Summary: 4 Stars

This 2000 South African film is about a 56-mile marathon run called The Comrades. It's also about a former marathon runner, now in his sixties, who never made it and has spent a lifetime as a manager in a brick factory. His avocation though is coaching other athletes. The German actor, Armin Mueller-Stahl is cast in this role of Barry, and the story centers around him. He's a white man but yet much beloved by the young black factory workers he coaches. And when he is fired from his job to be replaced by a politically correct black man, his running team is heartbroken.

Circumstances, however, bring a young Namibian woman named Kristina, played by Ntahta Moshesh, into his life. He has observed her running on the road and sees her potential as an athlete. He saves her from being deported, brings her into his home, and starts to train her. As he's a widower and lives alone, this make his neighbors raise their eyebrows.

All does not go well with the training however. Kristina resents him running her life and there is lots of conflict. There's also conflict with the four young African men he had been training. And the new manager who replaced him has tribal prejudices of his own and also begins to romance Kristina.

This film gave me a good chance to view the South African landscape and see some of the recent shifts in racial politics there. The acting was uniformly good. And, even though I found the film too long even at 113 minutes, I was completely involved, holding my breath at the racing scenes, which were actually quite predictable. However, the setting and the theme made up for it all. Recommended.

Movie Review: From a Runner
Summary: 3 Stars

Overall movie may be average. However, the way some characters interact with each other. Especially the way Berry was so focused on Comrades and his way of running it even through others. Christine does the best acting. She interacts amongst more characters in the movie than anyone else. She is shy, stubborn, witty, funny and charming all in a more natural way than the others. Gazza does make a good antagonist. Predictable as it was focusing on the current scenes made the movie enjoyable. Even though "Char riots of Fire" is a better movie this is more inspirational for me as I like running marathons. The two main difference between this movie and "Char riots of Fire" is that this movie deals with long distance running and the motivating power coming from outside and "Char riots of Fire" is about short distance and the intensity that one person has winning an Olympic Gold Medal. The music during the running part is good motivation to want to run.