Marathon (Korea) (2005)

October 26, 2007 · Posted in Award Winning, Drama, Family, Korean Movies

Synopsis: Rain Man meets Chariots of Fire in Jeong Yun Cheol’s directorial debut Marathon, the box office hit that critics have dubbed “the feel-good movie of the year”! Also known by the alternative title Running Boy, this poignant human drama stars Cho Seung Woo (The Classic, Raging Years) as Cho Won, a twenty year old autistic man with a passion for running track.

Encouraged by his mom (television actress Kim Mi Sook in her first major film role), Cho Won begins to participate in small-scale races at the local
level, all in preparation for the ultimate goal - competing in an actual marathon! To help him achieve his dreams, Cho Won’s mother finds her son a
track coach in the form of washed-up marathon champion Jeon Wook (The Quiet Family’s Lee Ki Young). But can the bitter coach overcome his personal skepticism and give Cho Won the expert training he so desperately needs? The answer awaits you in Marathon, a heartwarming film that explores one boy’s drive to succeed in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds!

Review: This is a film that captures the fine nuances of human emotions (or the inability to express them in the case of the autistic character). It explores in a realistic and heartfelt manner a family with an autistic child, and the outside world from which the child is protected. Thanks to a good script, good acting, and good production all round, their story was brought to life and we can really feel for the characters in this movie. On the one hand, this film is complex as it touches on many different themes, but on the other, it is so simple as it touches on the deepest of our roots and emotions.

Cast: Jo Seung-Woo, Kim Mi-Sook, Lee Gi-Young
Directed: Running Boy, Malathon
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 117 minutes
Also Known As: Running Boy, Malathon
Country: Korea
Language: Korean
Subtitles: English
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0448621/