Race

This workmanlike true-life drama of race and races tells the story of Jesse Owens, the athlete who exposed Adolf Hitler's misguided belief in Aryan supremacy as codswallop at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Owens, who was not only American but black as well, won four gold medals, much to Hitler's annoyance. It's a great yarn, but this solid if stodgy account is rather tough-going, and takes way too long to cut to the Olympics chase. Stephan James (Selma) stars as Owens, Jason Sudeikis plays his coach and Carice van Houten (from Game of Thrones) essays Leni Riefenstahl, the German documentary-maker whose official film of the Games Olympiad would ironically immortalise both Owens's triumph and Hitler's humiliation. All are fine. The track scenes, some filmed at Berlin's old Olympic stadium, are adequate but lack the wow factor. So, too, do routine subplot sequences depicting the racial prejudice that Owens encounters not only in Nazi Germany, but also back home in segregated Ohio. Race is good-looking and watchable enough, but there's a better film to be made about the Owens story.