Olga

The promising gymnastic career of the talented and ambitious Olga is cruelly interfered with by the political events in Maidan square in Kiev. Torn by emotions, she doesn't know whether to give priority to the sport that fulfils her, or to her beloved mother and her homeland. That's the story of French director Elie Grappe's feature debut in a nutshell, which without exaggeration I rank among the best sports dramas I've ever seen. Anyway, it is a very impressive movie, especially when one realizes how horrifying the situation in Ukraine is at the moment. (90%) (2022.12.03)

The combination of political causes and a sports movie might seem deadly from my perspective, because I tend to be cautious in the former, which prevents me from settling into the film, and I usually pretty much hate the latter. Fortunately, Olga has learned from the mistakes of both cases. It balances the themes perfectly so that you can never tell it's doing one in spite of the other. Aware of the film's limitations and the qualities of the gymnastic non-actors, she has them communicate mostly in body language (on whose shoulders one could play a board game) and, most importantly, in the repetitive sequences of exercises and practices, she constantly changes the point of view, editing, and rhythm so as to create new tension from seemingly identical situations. The frenetic atmosphere of Swiss gyms during late-night workouts, the high depth of field, and the subjective cinematography ultimately help Olga achieve the most essential thing a film about overcoming yourself could ask for. That is, a powerful physical experience through which we can connect with, or at least admire, a character who asks for no sympathy. Combining it with the events of the Maidan Uprising then works surprisingly smoothly (not to mention the somewhat paper preachiness of the protagonist's mother) and moreover results in a view I agree with, namely that if sport is supposed to be apolitical, it only serves the rich and the feeble-minded and is therefore useless. (2022.06.28)

I am absolutely thrilled! I never thought the themes of gymnastics and revolution would work so well. Although the main character wasn't very likable, she worked well and was actually very easy to root for. The film was full of angst, apprehension and tension and combined with the excellent music. (I highly recommend the soundtrack on Spotify.) It is one of the best films I have seen in a long time. Not to mention that the film is more than important now. "Free Ukraine!" (2022.05.30)