THE FILM
TITLE: Nyad
RELEASE DATE: 01 Sep 2023
WATCH DATE: 01 Feb 2024
TYPE: live-action feature film
ACCESS: streaming on Netflix
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE PEOPLE
DIRECTOR: Elizabeth Chai, Vasarhelyi Jimmy Chin
PRODUCER: Andrew Lazar, Jamie Marshall, Teddy Schwarzman, Luca Borghese
ACTORS: Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE STORY
RUNTIME: 2h 1m
STORYLINE: after a failed attempt and giving up swimming, Diana Nyad becomes determined to achieve her dream of swimming across over 100 miles of open ocean - at age 60
GENRE/THEMES: drama, friendship, determination, sports, biopic, overcoming, based on a true story
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE CRITIQUE
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Take a deep breath, and dive into the true story of Diana Nyad as she swims across the ocean. This inspiring biopic, overcoming athlete story, joins the ranks with so many like it before (Race, Unbroken, Secretariat, Foxcatcher, McFarland USA). The chemistry between Annette Bening and Jodie Foster is smooth, and they both bring great talent to these characters.
The challenges of making this film must have been difficult, all the scenes filmed in ocean water, the night scenes. From production to performances, Nyad shows a great deal of filmcraft. Despite being an Oscar-nominated film (for Leading and Supporting Actresses), it didn’t stand out to me from other athlete biopics. I enjoyed the film, but it didn’t take a lot of risks and remained a straightforward story. We need those films from Hollywood though; not everything has to be this massive project. Sometimes, we need to see a real person overcoming odds to be inspired to do the same in our own lives. Nyad is a great watch and an inspiring movie-night film. Get it on your watchlist!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE RECEPTION
NOMINATIONS
Academy Award for Leading Actress (Annette Bening)
Academy Award for Supporting Actress (Jodie Foster)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE IMPRESSION
IN A SINGLE WORD: inspiring
MOST STRIKING ELEMENT: acting & character development
REWATCH: probably not
RATING: 3.5 // 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Follow me on LETTERBOXD for film reviews, movie lists, and more!
Comments