Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Don't Believe the Hype

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

4 Minute Mile is a plodding unoriginal drama although it does make a reference to The Karate Kid at one point.Drew (Kelly Blatz) is the headstrong teenager who is a good sprinter. His father died when he was a kid, his older brother is mixing with drug dealers and gets Drew to do some literal running for him and his glamorous mother (Kim Basinger) seems not to care that her sons could be descending down the crime ladder.Drew comes to attention of an alcoholic, loner coach Coleman (Richard Jenkins) who suggests he moves up to running the mile and gets Drew involved in a tough training regime which also involves sanding a boat, pushing a tyre underwater and sometimes coming out with sage like advice which Drew listens to or ignores depending on his mood.Their is a potential love interest for Drew but a heavy cloud hangs over his brother and his fractious relationship with the drug dealers which you will guess will play a pivotal role in the final act.This really is a trite film lacking any resonance, it looks cheap and features a bland performance by Blatz, an excellent performance by Jenkins and a minor appearance by Basinger.

How does this type of drivel get made? Who sits down and decides to create something so cliché? Every single character was a cliché. Who enjoys this kind of predictability? Couldn't the writer have come up with even one original character? Maybe this is the world of talentless cookie cutter people that surrounds him. None of the relationships in the film would ever exist because people just don't behave this way to each other. Someone explain why he would listen to his brother when he acted like that? When coach said wax on wax off was the most enjoyable moment because I had been saying it to myself the entire film and I found something to laugh about. If you want to see a much better version of this film watch the Jerico Mile with the amazing Peter Strauss.

We were able to watch this movie on Netflix streaming. From the brief description I figured I would like, and I found it to be even better than my expectations.Set and filmed in the Seattle Washington area, it features a high school boy who has always been fast, and wants to be the fastest 400M runner on his team. But he has issues, mostly stemming from an abusive and no good older brother. When he has issues with the track coach he drops off the team. But someone tells him of an older coach that may be able to help him.The older coach uses unusual methods, seemingly unrelated to running fast. It turns out he is testing the boy, to see if he has the patience and the guts to take instruction and give it his all. They even use the old "wax on, wax off' reference. And, the old coach wants him to run the mile, not the 400 meters.The boy is Kelly Blatz, about 26, who plays Drew Jacobs. Blatz was an all-star high school athlete and looks very comfortable in his role as a runner. The old coach is Richard Jenkins who once again takes a generic role and makes it special. Also good is Analeigh Tipton as Lisa, also a runner and with eyes for Drew.As the story unfolds it is made clear several times that what they are doing isn't so much about winning races on the track but clearing out your inner demons so that you can accomplish what you want. A very special small film, never dull and always enjoyable, and with a few surprises.SPOILERS: Drew's brother is getting drugs from some thugs, and Drew is expected to carry drugs and money back and forth by running with a shoulder bag. There is a showdown of sorts at Drew's home, the old coach sees it and calls cops, but he is accidentally shot and dies. The brother and other thugs end up in prison, and even though Drew had not won the regional mile race to go to state finals, on his own he ran his mile in 3:57 as we see in parallel the state championship race won in 4:03. And as the movie ends we get a short feel-good scene of one year later and Drew is lining up at the start of a college race.

Who doesn't love a good inspirational sports movie? In One Square Mile we both get and then get beyond the standard clichés of the sports genre to a very good film about running. This is a film with well-judged pace, it doesn't rush and yet, we were absolutely hooked.The two leads, Kelly Blatz as the kid from the wrong side of Seattle, and Richard Jenkins, as a the washed-up coach are well cast. Jenkins is always the stoic, and here a stoic with curmudgeon, and both keep the film well balanced. The drama elements centered on family are well-handled without feeling tacked on.Director, Charles-Olivier Michaud, handles the camera with assurance. His team are excellent - this is a very well made film. It has that same quality in use of the camera as Ron Howard: it's there to tell the story and the flow shows. The superbly composed soundtrack by Stephen Barton reflects that this is not a loud film, it has at it center running, training, and the drives of that, and anyone who's ever run will like it a lot.All in all, one of our favourite films of the year - it has substance, style, and a lot to say about running.Recommended.