Race Movie Review
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Director: Stephan Hopkins | Starring: Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons
Runtime: 134 minutes | Rating: PG-13 | Score: 2.5/5
Here’s the thing with these type of films - they’re good movies. But they’re good movies that are based on figures who do great things.
Here, Stephan James (Selma, When The Game Stands Tall) portrays Jesse Owens, a 1936 record-breaking Olympian who faced struggles dealing with the Nazi regime. His coach, portrayed by Jason Sudeikis, teaches him that he needs to block out the harassment he’s receiving back home in Ohio State in order to face the obstacles that lie ahead in Berlin.
THE GOOD:
Just like many race-related biopics before it, Race lets you feel the struggles that the characters are facing even if you know the outcome. Director Stephen Hopkins also does a suitable job of creating a 2-hour film that revolves around a 10-second race. Sudeikis proves his dramatic chops with his portrayal of Larry Snyder, even though it is difficult to not expect a sarcastic remark to arise from his mouth.
The Olympic scenes are shot well, the moments where Owens has to block out the aggression around him are edited beautifully, and the film lives up to Olympic-related films such as Unbroken and race-related sports films such as 42.
THE BAD:
Just like Unbroken and 42, the film is very standard in the way it handles its issues. It doesn’t dig deep into the morals it addresses in order to keep the audience’s focus on rooting for Owens. The sad part is, just like in Woodlawn, it’s the story of Owens, but he sort of also plays the side character.
James isn’t allowed to really flesh out the character but instead just hits the same beats we see in other films. The locker room scene. The romantic subplot. The breakdown with the coach. All scenes that get the message across, but the film does nothing different or better than what we’ve seen in previous films that attempt to tackle the same emotions.
By the end credits, I give Race RENT IT. It’s worth watching, but at the comfort of your own home. No need to run out to the cinemas.
