I can't believe this film hasn't been commented on yet...it's a remarkable movie. It's based on the true story of a 40-year old, mentally-challenged man who lives with his mother in a rural Korean village. Afflicted with a "fever" as a child, he suffered a loss of some mental faculties, but is still able to interact socially. He also possesses some quite amazing physical abilities.
The man's life revolves around his mother, to whom he is totally devoted...and vice versa. He has run for enjoyment since a child, and is quite proficient at it. He trains for and enters a half-marathon, solely to use the winnings to help his mother. He doesn't win...but it doesn't matter. NOTE: Not winning the race is the "spoiler"...the reasons why it doesn't matter are why you'll love this film.
As an added bonus, you'll get to see a good deal of the "real" Korea. The film is quite good at showing a lot of everyday "small" things...the typical houses and how the people go about their daily lives, how they dress, what their shops look like, etc. I've spent some time there in the past, and it was great to see so many familiar scenes.
The one drawback is about 3 lines of vulgar language in the middle of the film. The movie could have done without this.
I highly recommend this film...if you're a fan of foreign movies or heart-warming stories, then it's for you.
The man's life revolves around his mother, to whom he is totally devoted...and vice versa. He has run for enjoyment since a child, and is quite proficient at it. He trains for and enters a half-marathon, solely to use the winnings to help his mother. He doesn't win...but it doesn't matter. NOTE: Not winning the race is the "spoiler"...the reasons why it doesn't matter are why you'll love this film.
As an added bonus, you'll get to see a good deal of the "real" Korea. The film is quite good at showing a lot of everyday "small" things...the typical houses and how the people go about their daily lives, how they dress, what their shops look like, etc. I've spent some time there in the past, and it was great to see so many familiar scenes.
The one drawback is about 3 lines of vulgar language in the middle of the film. The movie could have done without this.
I highly recommend this film...if you're a fan of foreign movies or heart-warming stories, then it's for you.