The Athlete – review

An Ethiopian drama based on the life of marathon runner Abebe Bikila , who won the Rome Olympics in 1960 barefoot and broke the world record at the next games before a car accident left him in wheelchair. It's a blend of documentary and drama, but while the archive clips of Bikila's victories are thrilling, the performances are flat and the script tired. It joins the pack of athletics movies ( Fast Girls , Town of Runners ) vying for Olympics-associated glory.