Nyad
Nyad
Starring Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans, Karly Rothenberg
Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin
After failing to swim the impossible - going from Cuba to Florida - 28-year-old Diana Nyad retired from swimming and focused on working with ABC as a sports correspondent. The years progressed and in her 60th birthday, Diana (Annette Bening) came up with a crazy idea - to actually accomplish the swim. Her best friend Bonnie Stoll (Jodie Foster) thinks she's crazy, but Diana sets her mind to doing it, and Bonnie agrees to be her coach. They spend years training and attempting the swim, and each time it ends in failure. Yet Diana remains undeterred, even when Bonnie and the boat captain John Bartlett (Rhys Ifans) tell her she can't do it, leading to her fifth and final attempt. At 64 years old, she achieved her dream of swimming from Cuba to Florida, solidifying her in the record books and in history.
The Good:
"Nyad" is, at its core, proof that you can do anything if you set your mind to it. Diana was steadfast in her resolve to swim the unswimmable, something even more impossible considering her age. Yet she has a steadfastness that doesn't accept defeat, and its that tenacity that got her to the finish line. Not only does this show that you can achieve your dream, it shows that it takes years of effort, blood, sweat, and tears to make it happen - it doesn't occur overnight. The filmmakers (who won an Oscar in 2018 for their documentary "Free Solo") take care to show the behind-the-scenes work Diana went through to accomplish the swim, and it's a painstaking ordeal spanning three years.
It also shows that you can't do it alone, as Diana had a strong support group to help her, most notably her best friend of decades Bonnie Stoll, who stood by her side as she continued to try to swim the distance. When Diana finally accomplished her goal, she announced that this couldn't be done alone, and thanks Bonnie and the numerous other people who were with her during the swim, showing as well that you need a support team to push you forward.
Annette Bening earned an Academy Award for her performance (a rarity for a film like this, whose only other nomination is Jodie Foster for Best Supporting Actress), and at first I was shocked by it, basically because Margot Robbie was shut out for her role in "Barbie." Yet after seeing this film, I have to say that Bening absolutely nailed the performance, and would have a strong chance of winning if it wasn't for the one-two punch of Lily Gladstone and Emma Stone. Bening was unafraid to play Diana with all her faults and failures, as she is notoriously a stubborn person who doesn't stop at anything to make her dreams happen - or maybe because she's a female she's considered stubborn (if she was a male, she might've been labeled "brave"). Bening sheds any ounce of appearance as she goes without makeup, without extravagant costumes, and without filter to show Diana as she is - completely human.
Jodie Foster, as well, more than deserves her nomination as she practically steals the scene from Bening again and again. She plays Bonnie effortlessly, like she was molded into the role, and serves as more than just Diana's support system - but her voice of reason. It's something only true blue friends can do, and even though they come to blows, she always comes back to support her best friend. It's the type of friendship we all wish we had, and if we have it, are lucky to have it.
It's no real surprise these two women were the only nominations for the film, as they both offer thoughtful, layered performances that pull you in from the very start. Although you know the eventual outcome, it's not about the destination - but about the journey. The journey itself is compelling and full of pitfalls and failures that would've caused anyone else to give up, but not Diana. She proves her stock by going at it again, and again, and again...and again, and she doesn't consider failure an option. She pushes her body to the extremes, and the swim itself is harrowing and dangerous, as she comes under attack from sharks and jellyfish that are pure nightmare fuel, especially during the night. Seeing the failures and the preparation only serves as the best ending, when she finally reaches the shore I won't lie - I had a lump in my throat, and I literally applauded like I was there when it happened. That's how powerful the film is, and how much it pulled me in. Expert storytelling and acting clearly.
The Bad:
There were hints of Diana's past when she was a child and she was molested by her swim coach that was only hinted at in the film but not fully developed, and it would've served as an important story arc to prove that you can overcome your past pain and become something special, but again it wasn't really about the past but about her swim.
The Summary:
Anchored by two standout performances and an inspiring true story that proves you can do anything you set your mind and heart to, "Nyad" is a rousing, compelling movie that will leave your heart soaring and making you feel that you can really achieve the impossible.
The Score: A+
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