Friday, February 9, 2024

Nyad (2023, PG-13)

As I’ve said before, I like watching movies that offer a deep dive into the world of people who are super into something that I know very little about. I just like the stories of passionate people, often regardless of what that passion is. This film, based on the true story of marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, certainly delivers on that.

When she hits her 60th birthday, Diana Nyad wonders what’s left to be done in her life, what remaining adventures she could have. And she turns to the one swim she wasn’t able to finish: the “Mount Everest” of swimming, the 110-mile stretch from Cuba to Florida. She hasn’t swum professionally in decades, but she’s determined to see this one through even if it literally kills her. She sets about convincing her best friend Bonnie Stoll to coach her.

What I really like about this movie is just how many different angles it explores for the complexities of pulling off a marathon swim in the open ocean. Yes, the story is primarily about Diana, Bonnie, and their relationship, but Diana has an entire team to address the various challenges she confronts. We see the vital importance of her navigator, we meet the experts who provide technology and vigilance to protect her from sharks, and along the way, we pick up a new expert to deal with the additional danger of box jellyfish who’ve moved into these waters because of climate change. We also get into the weeds of the official rules, like what counts as a solo swim, and we look at details like how Diana is able to stay nourished during the two-and-a-half-day journey and how Bonnie is able to keep track of her in the water at night. It’s all fascinating.

When it comes to Diana herself, she’s equal parts admirable, stubborn, and selfish. She’s determined to fulfill this lifelong dream and is more than willing to endanger herself to do so, not to mention the others on her team. She can be myopic in her goal, urging her navigator to give the go-ahead to set off even with bad weather on the horizon. And in a way, that self-centeredness is sort of reflected in the film’s portrayal of the sport itself. When Diana is in the water, she can hardly hear anyone else around her—Bonnie needs to blow a whistle to get her attention. Instead, she keeps pace to the rhythm of a mental playlist, with occasional intrusions from memories of her past.

I really like Bonnie as a character. I don’t know enough about the real story to have much context on the real Bonnie, but I love how she’s portrayed in the film. She’s the ride-or-die bestie who does everything in her power to hammer a bit of pragmatism into Diana’s head, but she’s also in the thick of it with her, chasing the dream alongside her friend. She’s never even coached swimming before, but for Diana’s sake, she learns the ropes and sets out in choppy seas, trying her best to keep Diana safe. At the same time, though, she isn’t a door mat and makes it clear that there’s a limit to how much Diana can push her and the rest of the team around for the sake of her dream.

The film earned two Oscar nominations—Annette Bening for Lead Actress and Jodie Foster for Supporting Actress. As Diana and Bonnie, the two play off each other wonderfully well, working together to anchor the movie as a team. The film also features Rhys Ifans, who’s excellent as Diana’s navigator John Bartlett. More recently, Ifans has been playing Otto Hightower on House of the Dragon, but I still associate him with his role in Michel Gondry’s Human Nature.

Warnings

Strong thematic elements (including child sexual abuse that isn’t shown onscreen,) language, brief nudity, drinking, and gross-out moments.

No comments:

Post a Comment