I have always been a fan of Dieter Hallervorden but this film puts him over the top, as it absolutely great acting! What a great German film! A film about ageing and dying, and having grown up in Germany where death was taboo and not talked about, this film stirs up emotions in a way that most nations that push the elderly out of view, need to hear and see.The message is clear, keep going and even after death it continues. Not many films can deliver that message these days and therefore this film is one of a kind.Great cinema, great spiritual message!

Seriously? Beckmann? Why him?I actually liked this movie very much. It's far better than Honig im Kopf - but this Beckmann scene was terrible. Unbearable! Minus one star because of Beckmann. Otherwise I had given it 10/10.Nevertheless, this movie is worth watching. It's about growing old, about generation gap, how to relate to other people in modern times, German medical care system for the elderly people…., it's about overextension and about past lifes of each individual... But I guess the main theme is "don't give up, keep on rolling." In this case, running.The cast is very good, enjoyable watching. Renowned personalities of Germany's finest actors. Usually I hate Berlin, but I liked the short sequences of the city. Perfect fit. Perfect movie.

I was pleasantly surprised when i saw this movie on the plane. the situation of old people is real and sad, but the movie put a positive spin in it. looking at my own parents aging, i identified with the movie in so many ways. the nursing home is very nice from an architectural point of view. my favorite scene is when they went to register for the marathon, it's too late unless he met two exceptions. that scene was hilarious. the runner forgot when and the wife remember it like yesterday. the bond between the husband and wife is nicely presented....i cried over it. the wife reminded me of my own mother, like most mothers, she's loving, caring and supportive of her husband even she didn't agree with him initially.

I like feel-good comedies and I'm a distance-runner myself, so when I heard about this film I was already sold: Ageing ex-marathon star Paule Averhoff goes for one last race, and no less than the Berlin marathon too (ok, the story plays in Berlin, so that's the most obvious goal).Knowing Hallervorden as a comedian with the not-so-subtle approach, I thought this would turn out more on the comedy side, but I was completely wrong: This is a thoughtful, very quiet and touching story, with intense emotions and not that many laughs (but those well-earned). The scenes in the geriatric ward - complete with a musical protestant nazi nurse a bit prettier than Ratched - are claustrophobic and intense; every scene out of it felt like a relief. Dieter Hallervorden and Tatja Seibt as his wife show captivating performances; the only weaker parts of the film are those where we cut away to their daughter, played by Heike Makatsch - it's not her fault, it's just that it's not really her story and we would rather stay with Paule.The final race scenes (the story itself goes on a wee bit longer) left me a bit nonplussed; I didn't get why he entered the stadium all alone - hardly fitting for the event and I don't think it would have taken away from the impact if there were some other runners by his side as during the previous kilometers. But overall, one of the best 2013 films! Highly recommended!