A One Mann’s Movies review of “Young Woman and the Sea” (2024).
I went into this new Daisy Ridley feature with no expectations at all. But it is a truly wonderful film and one that virtually all ages could go and enjoy.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
It’s New York in the early 1920’s. Trudy Ederle (Daisy Ridley) grows up a rebellious girl in a man’s world. In particular, she has a passion for swimming and is also very good at it. But the patriarchy is not prepared to let women wear sports-style bathing costumes, let alone compete in like-for-like competitions.
Certification:
UK: PG; US: PG. (From the BBFC web site: “Mild bad language, discrimination”). The “discrimination” is gender-based by the way, not racial.
Talent:
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Stephen Graham, Kim Bodnia, Jeanette Hain, Ethan Rouse, Olive Abercrombie, Sian Clifford, Christopher Eccleston.
Directed by: Joachim Rønning.
Written by: Jeff Nathanson. (Based on the book by Glenn Stout).
Twitter Handle: #YoungWomanAndTheSea.
Running Time: 2h 9m.
“Young Woman and the Sea” Summary:
Positives:
- Based on a true-story, this is a truly emotional, inspiring and entertaining movie-going experience.
- Daisy Ridley delivers her career-best performance.
- Excellent supporting performances.
- Great production design and crowd scenes.
- A terrific score by Amelia Warner.
Negatives:
- Christopher Ecclestone’s accent.
Review of “Young Woman and the Sea”:
A real crowd-pleaser of a movie
There’s a category of movie that perfectly fits a “General Audience” category, and this is it. It’s like “The Boys in the Boat“, but without me in it! This is a movie that you could (and should) take your elderly parents to the cinema to watch. I think it would also appeal to older children as well, particularly after we get out of the ‘growing up’ sequence and into the more aquatic-based drama.
The film is moving and dramatic when it needs to be, balanced by some genuine laughs and exciting action sequences during the eventful swims. All of this is massively enhanced by a larger than life and properly orchestral score by Amelia Warner.
The good Reverend Godfrey, my film reviewing pal, thought the film a tad over-long. But I didn’t find that at all: I was thoroughly engrossed from beginning to end. The film also delivers a strong dose of the ‘feels’ in its closing moments. I felt a lump in my throat at a triumphant homecoming. But it was the pictures of the real Trudy Ederle and her potted life story, prior to the end titles, that somehow really got to me and made the optical-dam burst. This was an extraordinary lady: a true athlete against all the odds (her early measles). If you read her wiki page (here) there was more drama and challenges to follow in the years after this film ended.
There really are few enough films like this, so the production should be praised. “They don’t make films like that anymore”…. yes they do and this is it!
RIdley is superb
Daisy Ridley has always had a bit of a rough ride, given her baptism of fire with the fans of the Star Wars series. I’ve also not been very impressed with some of her other film choices (she was virtually invisible in “Murder on the Orient Express“. But 2024 seems to have been a good year for her. I hear rave reports about her role in a film called “Magpie” (which I’ve yet to see), but her role here is, imho, a career best for her. She gets the chance to be charming, funny, determined, fearful, desperate and delivers it all with aplomb.
Great Supporting cast
The supporting cast present an array of real talent, with each new face being a pleasant surprise.
- Playing Trudy’s strict butcher father is Kim Bodnia. (If, like me, you spent the WHOLE FILM thinking “who is that guy… I know that laugh…” then you’re going to thank me for the next two words…. “Killing Eve”!)
- The wondeful Sian “Fleabag” Clifford plays Lottie Epstein, Trudy’s no-nonsense swimming coach;
- The equally wonderful Stephen Graham has a whale of a time playing the larger-than-life ex-Channel swimmer Bill Burgess;
- And I’d also like to mention young Olive Abercrombie, who plays the young Trudy exceptionally well. As in the recent “Furiosa“, the transition from young actress to older actress is done very cleverly and in the blink of an eye.
Ecclestone roams North of the border
Christopher Ecclestone plays a really nasty piece of work – a Glaswegian coach called Jabez Wolffe. (Amazingly, the history books really do suggest that he may have actually done what he is shown doing in this film). Unfortunately, Ecclestone is so well-known for his Northern accent (“Lots of planets have a North”, LOL) that his attempt at a Scottish accent here really didn’t work for me. It’s the one slight misstep in casting for me.
Production Design
The production design for early 20th century New York is very good and reminded me of the excellent “Cabrini” in that respect. The film doesn’t skimp on the crowd scenes either which no doubt kept the costume department very busy indeed! The movie was filmed in just 6 weeks during 2022, which given the scope of the film and the varied locations is really going some!
Summary Thoughts on “Young Woman and the Sea”
This is a terrific film that the whole family can enjoy together. It has drama, humour, action and a truly inspiring story of one woman’s fight against the patriarchy in 1920’s America. I heartily recommend that you try to catch it while it is still in cinemas.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Young Woman and the Sea”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tNvrYzPUrk .
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