Film Movement does the seemingly impossible in topping itself through its partnership with Bond/360; this praise relates to the joint venture greatly enhanceing the already Herculean documentary section of the Movement catalog. The five recent fruits of this collaboration follow up on a quartet (including the reviewed "Sign Painters" about practitioners of this dying art form) in September 2017.
Coverage of this quintet begins with the compelling 2015 film "Gun Runners." This one sheds light on the titular Kenyan former cattle rustlers turned marathon runners whose criminal past includes literally sprinting while holding weapons that shoot bullets.
The following YouTube clip of a theatrical trailer for "Runners' provides a strong sense of the film in two minutes or less.
This cinema verite film is free from any narration and largely lets the two heroes of this fable and those in their lives do all the talking. The most amazing aspects of hearing Julius Arlie and Robert Matanda tell their stories is that they are very candid about their sins and that a Hollywood film about their lives would be an almost sure thing hit.
"Runners" sets the stage by showing that cattle ownership is a primary form of wealth in Kenya, and that "warrioirs" are modern-day rustlers armed with automatic weapons and heavy firepower who raid farms to obtain those literal cash cows. We also learn that chasing the cattle while the police are in hot pursuit requires running very fast.
Filmmaker Anjali Nayar shares as well that the governmental response to this activity includes a "buy back" program in which a warrior turns in his arsenal and goes straight in exchange for amnesty and a pair of running shoes.
A reformed criminal also has the opportunity to live and train at a camp that initially prepares him to run a local race that awards cash prizes. Men who excel there can move onto a more elite (and better equipped) facility where they train to compete in international races that include the New York Marathon.
Arlie is the first between him and warrior leader Matanda to trade in his piece for Nikes and subsequently convinces his childhood friend/fellow youth champion runner to move from his secret base in the bush to the running camp.
The paths of the men split when the talent of Arlie earns him a spot at the elite training center; he further is selected to travel to New York to run in a race and to appear at a UN session on the problem of the armed raids in Kenya. His pride regarding this honor includes meeting former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Meanwhile, the training of Matanda is not going as well. However, his leadership skills initially result in his becoming the head of a group at the camp and later almost literally putting all of his eggs in one basket regarding vigorously supporting a political candidate in exchange for a promise of a government position if that man wins the election.
The focus of Arlie on his running first qualifies him to run in the Prague marathon and later in the New York marathon. In true Hollywood fashion, the latter race essentially is do-or-die for him in the same manner that the election is very important to Matanda.
The families of the men provide another parallel. A scandal for which his innocent family pays a steep price is what propels Arlie to become a warrior; it is equally clear that his propensity to figuratively cut and literally run does not greatly diminish over time. This and other stressors are taking a heavy toll on his relations with his family.
Matanda is more of a family man in that he keeps his wife and children with him even when the threat of incarceration requires living in the bush. Hearing the extent to which his wife stands by her man demonstrates that she deserves a medal.
Much of the pressure on Matanda relates to paying the tuition at the private school that enhances the odds that his children will not need to follow in his footsteps. The campaign for the aforementioned government job being a big part of this is one reason that "Gunners" screams for a Hollywood remake.
The compelling events described above result in a modern Hollywood ending in which our flawed heroes achieve a portion of their dreams but do not experience an 11th hour miracle that rewards them for their hard work atoning for their sins and fighting hard to improve life for themselves and their family.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Runners" is strongly encouraged either to email me or to connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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