Nyad

Nyad is a standard movie in terms of its filmmaking qualities, but it has a strong story and two masterful actors in Jodie Foster and Annette Bening, who go all out for a film they believe in. Friendship and support beyond the grave, a will and unyielding conviction that moves the world. In terms of its story, Nyad has the parameters of an Oscar winner, but it will most likely escape the attention of the masses, like Howard’s excellent Thirteen Lives from last year. I’m glad that Jimmy Chin is breaking into the field of feature films. (11/06/2023)

No one can tell me that Jimmy Chin and his wife didn't originally intend this as an episode for Edge of the Unkown. But then, when they were going through the documentary footage, they thought “hey, we already have an Oscar for documentary, how about trying fiction, it's hard to get our hands on more rewarding material?” A powerful inspirational story about the indomitable willfulness of a willful, very difficult to get along with retired woman (at one time a record breaker, then a legend of the commentariat) who refuses to accept that she belongs to the old guard. As much as one could fault the unnecessarily drawn-out runtime and, despite the topic and the unused "unsparingness", it is carried by the central duo of acting legends. And they enjoy their strong characters, and virtually every scene they do together (which is 90% of the film) can be cut for an "Oscar showreel" without slipping into overacting even for a moment. More interesting "because it happened" and "because of how it's acted" than "because of how good the movie is", but in the genre of award-winning biopics, it's unquestionably a cut above the rest. (11/04/2023)

I've come to realize that the biggest cinematic surprises often come from films you have zero expectations for — and sometimes, you've never even heard of. Nyad is exactly that kind of movie. The subject is fascinating, and I vaguely recall hearing about it in the news. The execution is spot-on in every way, especially when it comes to the acting. Annette Bening delivers an almost Oscar-worthy performance, Jodie Foster is equally impressive, and Rhys Ifans just needs to show up on screen to make me happy. Overall, this is a well-crafted American drama about the strength of the human spirit and pushing boundaries. (11/06/2023)