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Nyad
Annette Bening is a deadlock for a fifth Oscar nomination for her complete command of the title role in 2023's Nyad, an often heart-stopping docudrama that despite a slightly sentimental approach to telling the story, brought enough stark realism to what we're watching that there were moments where this reviewer was fighting tears.
Bening plays Diana Nyad, the former Olympic swimmer and 30 year correspondent for ABC's Wild World of Sports, who, at the age of 60, decided to make her first attempt at doing something she knew she was not going to be able to die happily without achieving: swimming from Cuba to Florida, without the aid of a shark net and with the aid of her lifelong friend and coach, Bonnie Stoll (two time Oscar winner Jodie Foster).
Julia Cox's screenplay, adapted from a book by Nyad, impresses from the beginning as a biopic of authenticity and sincerity. Initially impressed that the film begin with an actual clip of the real Nyad appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Normally with films like this, real footage of the subject is reserved for the end of the film, but by beginning the film with this footage, an air of honesty pervaded everything we saw after that. Also liked that we didn't get a birth to death chronicle of the subject. The movie begins when Diana is 60 years old, though it does provide flashbacks to her past, these flashback have a spontaneous feel initially, but as the film progressed, each flashback had a connection to where the story is present, providing just enough backstory without ever bringing the present story to a halt.
Also loved the fact that Nyad did not succeed her first time and never gave up. We know this story wouldn't have been told if she did not succeed before the film was over, but I liked the fact that it didn't help without some serious bumps along the way. Loved that after her second or third attempt, she was about to give up when she saw another swimmer on television who said she was going to attempt the same swim but ended up not making it.
Compelling and detailed direction add to the constant fascination that pervades over the whole movie...not just some of the intense underwater storms and dangers Nyad encounters, including a very dangerous storm where the water looks like it's on fire, an insane concept, but also a fantasy sequence near the ending which features Nyad meeting her 14 year old self, which looked like something out of an Esther Williams musical.
Annette Bening's extraordinary performance is the heart of this film. She forsakes all pretense of glamour hear, I don't think she wears a drop of makeup throughout the entire film. Foster matches Bening note for note and an Oscar nomination is not out of the question for her either. Though I would prefer to see Bening honored since Foster already has two Oscars. Gorgeous cinematography, underwater photography and music are the frosting on this cinematic cake, a veritable textbook on how to make a biopic.
Annette Bening is a deadlock for a fifth Oscar nomination for her complete command of the title role in 2023's Nyad, an often heart-stopping docudrama that despite a slightly sentimental approach to telling the story, brought enough stark realism to what we're watching that there were moments where this reviewer was fighting tears.
Bening plays Diana Nyad, the former Olympic swimmer and 30 year correspondent for ABC's Wild World of Sports, who, at the age of 60, decided to make her first attempt at doing something she knew she was not going to be able to die happily without achieving: swimming from Cuba to Florida, without the aid of a shark net and with the aid of her lifelong friend and coach, Bonnie Stoll (two time Oscar winner Jodie Foster).
Julia Cox's screenplay, adapted from a book by Nyad, impresses from the beginning as a biopic of authenticity and sincerity. Initially impressed that the film begin with an actual clip of the real Nyad appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Normally with films like this, real footage of the subject is reserved for the end of the film, but by beginning the film with this footage, an air of honesty pervaded everything we saw after that. Also liked that we didn't get a birth to death chronicle of the subject. The movie begins when Diana is 60 years old, though it does provide flashbacks to her past, these flashback have a spontaneous feel initially, but as the film progressed, each flashback had a connection to where the story is present, providing just enough backstory without ever bringing the present story to a halt.
Also loved the fact that Nyad did not succeed her first time and never gave up. We know this story wouldn't have been told if she did not succeed before the film was over, but I liked the fact that it didn't help without some serious bumps along the way. Loved that after her second or third attempt, she was about to give up when she saw another swimmer on television who said she was going to attempt the same swim but ended up not making it.
Compelling and detailed direction add to the constant fascination that pervades over the whole movie...not just some of the intense underwater storms and dangers Nyad encounters, including a very dangerous storm where the water looks like it's on fire, an insane concept, but also a fantasy sequence near the ending which features Nyad meeting her 14 year old self, which looked like something out of an Esther Williams musical.
Annette Bening's extraordinary performance is the heart of this film. She forsakes all pretense of glamour hear, I don't think she wears a drop of makeup throughout the entire film. Foster matches Bening note for note and an Oscar nomination is not out of the question for her either. Though I would prefer to see Bening honored since Foster already has two Oscars. Gorgeous cinematography, underwater photography and music are the frosting on this cinematic cake, a veritable textbook on how to make a biopic.