Race Movie Reviews
Feature Film | 2016 | Biopic, Drama, Social Issues, Sports
Critics:
Audience:
Review by: Manisha Lakhe - NOWRUNNING
Say the name 'Jesse Owens' and people will respond with a vague, 'Was he a sportsman of some sort?' But everyone has heard of Hitler. This gem of a film shows us how a young African American rises above the discrimination he suffers because of his race and becomes the greatest Olympian ever, teaching Hitler a lesson in humility.
Read Full Review
Read Full Review
Review by: Rachit Gupta - Filmfare
Amidst marvellous production values, Race also tells a story full of political context. Watching an underdog win International sprints in sepia tone is reminiscent of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. But this movie has much more emotional depth and deftness than the Indian biopic. If you enjoy films and sports, this is a must watch.
Read Full Review
Read Full Review
Review by: Rohini Nair - Firstpost
It is truly commendable that in a story that doesn’t have much scope for suspense — Owens’ Olympic feat is hardly a secret — Race is engaging throughout. At one point in the film, Snyder tells Owens that people come to watch him race for the same reason that they stare so excitedly at a plane up in the sky: What they really want, is to see (you) crash. But in the case of Race, all you really want, is to see Jesse Owens soar.
Read Full Review
Read Full Review
Review by: Stephen Holden - The New York Times
If “Race” does an efficient job of clarifying the issues, at no point do you feel that this is the whole story in all its complexity. “Race” reminds us that long before television elevated black sports heroes into gods, there were athletes like Jesse Owens who paved the way. There are many ways to tell Owens’s story, and “Race” (the two meanings of the title fit hand in glove) takes one of the least challenging.
Read Full Review
Read Full Review
Review by: Peter Travers - Rolling Stone
Race is at its best when it fills in the corners of a story we only thought we knew. We expect Hitler to resist personal contact with Owens. But FDR offers a greater shock back home when Owens is not even invited to meet the president. Without diminishing the accomplishments of Owens, the film reminds us of our blinkered history with race and the hurdles still ahead.
Read Full Review
Read Full Review
Review by: Uday Bhatia - Livemint
James manages to imbue Owens with both a sense of purpose and a sense of humour. He’s more than adequate, in a film that’s barely that. The only other intriguing note is struck by Carice van Houten, whose poker face is perfect for the manipulative genius that was Riefenstahl. Though it messes with the actual chronology, this is one of the most famous passages in Olympia, Leni Riefenstahl’s documentary on the Berlin Games.
Read Full Review
Read Full Review
