Young Woman and the Sea

Young Woman and the Sea is a traditional Hollywood biopic that is in part a sporting drama, but also a survival story and all these elements combine well to inspire.

Whilst I am frustrated that so much dramatic licence is taken during some of the key moments, the story and message is good. Importantly, if it prompts people to do their own research into facts about the people and events portrayed, that's a positive outcome. Those who take Hollywood movies at face value and believe everything they see deserve to spend their life being misled.

Some people might argue it lays the theme of female empowerment on too thick (and maybe they are right), but that's certainly not a negative for me. I am a father of a daughter who swims in a class full of competitive older boys and each one of them try their best to make sure they never finish behind her. Sometimes she beats them, most times they win and it can be disheartening for her. This is exactly the type of film she needed to see to remind her that she's not inferior and to persevere. In all facets of life.

It also inspired me... to never swim long distances in the sea again! The filmmakers do a brilliant job capturing how treacherous a challenge it is. (In my young backpacking days I almost died swimming from a coral reef in Malaysia back to an island) The experience of swimming in open water is as terrifying as the film portrays and people who have completed immense challenges like the Channel swim deserve to be immortalised on screen. The cinematography, editing and art direction is all superb.

Daisy Ridley leads it with a strong central performance and is supported well by other cast members, particularly Stephen Graham, who entertains in virtually every scene.

I managed to catch Young Woman and the Sea during its cinema run and I have to say I thought it was a great film. Daisy Ridley was excellent as Trudy Ederle and really proved herself as a first rate actress in this film. The film itself felt like a rarity in today's landscape of overly CGI-d superheroes and sci-fis. This was a good old fashioned story, well told with great actors, nice cinematography and a strong script. That being said, I have to say that the British equivalent, an indie titled, Vindication Swim, was the better of the two Channel swimming films released this year. That one takes place a year after Trudy's swim and is based on the first British woman to swim the Channel, Mercedes Gleitze. I felt the swimming sequences were far more varied and visually spectacular in what I assume was a much lower budget film than this outing by Disney. Likewise I feel that story had more to it in terms of the struggle faced by its protagonist (interestingly both women are of German heritage and a good deal of the story is about them proving themselves to being American and British respectively). That being said Young Woman the and Sea is by no means a bad film. Far from it, it is actually excellent, especially in the rousing climactic sequence. I really do hope Disney continues to make films like this one.

Went into this feeling a bit lukewarm to be honest. Expecting a schmaltzy Disney production looking to over eagerly tug at viewers heart strings. Well, heart strings were indeed plucked, like an old second hand guitar. But it was done earnestly and at no point do you feel you are being emotionally played with.

"based on a true story", it announces from the first screen, so those objecting to how far it was from the truth, get back in your box. After googling Gertrude Ederle, this viewer did not feel in an way duped by the dramatization presented of her story.

Not much to say regarding the script, production, acting etc, other than I for one found nothing to criticize, it was just so good in all respects. Slightly preachy in regards to misogyny, women's rights?, of course it is, it was the 1920s, yet a century later there are some in the USA that would have the clocks rolled back in that regard. Which is why it is a shame that this movie is not getting a wider release.

Watch it with family for a great shared occasion, or alone if you need inspiration, or with a bunch of mates...don't worry, if you feel a tear coming on, pretend you have something in your eye.

This inspiring story follows the journey of a champion, a woman who defied the odds from a young age. Her story is a testament to courage, tenacity, and a deep love for water and life. Watching her compete is truly exhilarating, and her flawless American accent only adds to her charm. But it is her German mother who truly shines as a force to be reckoned with, showing where her daughter's indomitable spirit comes from. This story is a reminder of how far women have come and the incredible things we can achieve. It is a tale that every young girl should watch to be inspired to reach for their dreams. I am truly moved by this story and will be sharing it with every woman I know, including my children, to show them the power of perseverance and determination.

Terrible title aside - I'm really happy to see Disney making this type of movie again! Young Woman and the Sea could have been made at basically any point in the last 50-60 years exactly as is, and that's a compliment. The kind of well-made, heartfelt "family entertainment" that studios used to release regularly but not so much anymore. While I wish it got a wide theatrical release (it deserves to), I'm still happy I got to enjoy this wonderful and inspirational film! Quite shocked by how much I was pulled in by Young Woman and the Sea. Daisy Ridley's endearing performance as Trudy Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel, is a constant delight. Possibly my favorite performance from her yet. But the real star is Amelia Warner's stirring score that gives this cliched but inspiring true sports story its heart and vigor. There's nothing revelatory here but as far as swimming biopics go, I at least found it to be an enjoyable watch!