An elderly man tries to achieve one of his greatest ambitions by turning a rank amateur into a champion in this drama. German-born Bertold Bohmer (Armin Mueller-Stahl) was a competitive distance runner in his youth who had one great dream -- to win the Comrades Marathon, a punishing 54-mile race that stretches between two cities through an arid desert in South Africa. Now in his mid-sixties and living in South Africa, Bohmer never achieved this goal, but as a trainer he's helped a number of other athletes achieve theirs, and he's coaching four African runners as they prepare for the Comrades. But Bohmer is abruptly fired from his training assignment, only to be replaced by a much younger man, Gasa (Paterson Joseph), who refocuses his runners in middle-distance competition. Bohmer is despondent until he discovers Christine (Nthati Moshesh), a young woman he sees jogging one day. Bohmer's trained eye tells him that she has the natural gifts and talent to win the Comrades, but he learns that she's never trained for a competitive athletic event in her life -- and she's an illegal alien from Namibia to boot. After a police raid on her home, Christine has little recourse but to accept Bohmer's invitation to stay with him, and while he spares no expense in coaching her for the Comrades, she begins to chafe under his rigorous training program; furthermore, when Gasa hears about the remarkable new runner Bohmer has discovered, he tries to convince her to join his team. Renowned South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo contributed several songs to The Long Run's soundtrack. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
The Long Run is one of those lovingly constructed, lavishly produced sports dramas that can't miss -- unless you have no interest in long-distance running, South African racial politics, or intense coach-athlete relationships. But if you have an interest in any of the above, the movie will become an immediate favorite. The exotic setting adds a vivid dimension to the story, which works to the familiar formula of emotional lows alternating with highs all the way to the finish line, but successfully so. There is subtlety in the texture as the widower coach never succumbs to romancing the beautiful runner, and that alone makes the movie far nobler than most. But noble isn't always exciting, and, in truth, The Long Run could have used a bit more whimsy and better pacing to the climax. In fact, if it's cheap thrills you want, watch Rocky III again. But if you want to see a slow-building sports story and surprisingly confident acting -- particularly by an untrained, debuting amateur, Nthati Moshesh, who more than keeps up with the Oscar-nominated (for Shine) Armin Mueller-Stahl -- then The Long Run won't be much of a long shot. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
