Young Woman and the Sea (2024)

Young Woman and the Sea (2024). 2h 9m | PG

“In a logical, reasoned sense I know that Young Woman u0026amp; The Sea is not a 9/10 star film. It is a Disney-fied family drama that sometimes features cringe-worthy dialogue or tropes. But if the purpose of the cinematic experience is to tug at the heartstrings and invoke strong emotional reactions, one almost cannot be helped to be sucked into the flick.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFor a very basic overview, Young Woman u0026amp; The Sea tells the story of Trudy Ederle (Daisy Ridley), a rare female swimmer in 1920s New York who would first represent her country in the Olympics and then attempt to be the first woman to swim the English Channel. Inspired by sister Margaret (Tilda Cobham-Hervey), mother Gertrude (Jeanette Hain), and pushed by coach Lottie Epstein (Sian Clifford), Trudy must not only show her physical aquatic prowess but also overcome the sexism of the times by handler Jabez Wolffe (Christopher Eccleston) and even father Henry (Kim Bodnia).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe biggest thing Young Woman has going for it is that it is hitting cinemas at an absolute perfect time, what with Caitlin Clark (and others) inspiring a wave of appreciation for female stories revolving around sports. That isnu0026#39;t to minimize the filmu0026#39;s ability to invoke emotion, however, as director Joachim Ronning and writer Jeff Nathanson craft a solid narrative here. It is well-shot (the swimming scenes are a delight), full of forward momentum, and consistently shows the obstacles placed in young Trudyu0026#39;s path simply by dint of her gender and how she hurdles practically all of them.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRidley is also perfect for the lead role, channeling her Star Wars success nicely here. For Young Woman to work, audiences need to be fully emotionally invested in Trudyu0026#39;s struggles and triumphs, and Ridley has no trouble getting those emotions across.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGoing into the movie, I was worried it would be a schmaltzy Disney family flick-and it certain ways it very much is. This isnu0026#39;t a hard-hitting, in-the-weeds, serious prestige drama. While it covers all the requisite issues Trudyu0026#39;s story entails, it does so with a coat of varnish to make it enjoyable for all audiences.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut in the final reckoning, other than a few cringe-worthy dialogue moments, Young Woman u0026amp; the Sea was so emotional and inspirational that it consistently won me over-especially the final act (and even closing credits) that reference the real-life Trudy to cement the storyu0026#39;s grounded nature. Such investment makes it hard to dislike this film.”