Biopic Young Woman and the Sea is distributed by Disney. By 1926, New Yorker Gertrude ‘Trudy’ Ederle (Daisy Ridley) has won many a major swimming competition, but remains frustrated by the amount of sexist attitudes in relation to sport. Determined to prove once and for all that female swimmers should be taken just as seriously as males, Trudy heads over to France in order to become the first woman to swim across the English Channel.
PROS
- Jeff Nathanson’s screenplay is a heartfelt celebration of the art of swimming and passion it evokes, whilst also subverting some sports biopic tropes when one of Trudy’s coaches (Christopher Eccleston) tries to sabotage her.
- An excellent lead in Daisy Ridley, who portrays Trudy with passion and throws herself into the physical aspects of the role, whilst Stephen Graham, Sian Clifford and Tilda Cobham-Hervey are the standout supporting players.
- Highly detailed production and costume design give good period authenticity to 1920s New York, whilst Trudy’s climactic Channel swim is slickly shot and edited, making for an eye-catching and exciting scene.
CONS
- Despite subverting some of the usual sports biopic tropes, the narrative is altogether predictable due to being quite formulaic, whilst the exploration of sexism in sport is altogether surface-level.
- The glossiness of 1920s New York makes it all too clear what scenes were filmed on a studio lot or against a green-screen.
- Several very one-note supporting characters, including some of Trudy’s close relatives, resulting in a number of the supporting cast members never getting a real chance to shine and being forgettable.
VERDICT: 6/10
Pete Kirkpatrick's Reviews 