The Gymnast

Now maybe it had something to do with the fact that I saw this movie at a low point in my life, when I was really trying to figure out where I was going and what I needed to make myself happy, but this film really spoke to me. Jane is an everywoman: although she has so many positive things going for her, she is still vulnerable and unhappy in her life. She is strong and intelligent, but she was cheated out of achieving her potential by an unfortunate accident and is living a second-choice life. She seeks out new challenges and happiness, seeking desperately to fill the hole in her heart. Dreya Weber is an exquisite Jane. As we journey with her we feel the depth of her despair, the torture of her desperation and, eventually, the strength of her conviction. The beautiful Addie Yungmee is also very well cast and an asset to the production. Allison Mackie is a scene stealer as a saucy character with impeccable timing. I highly recommend this film; although it's low budget, it has big budget writing and production values. PS- great aerial scenes with two beautiful sexy women. Women will love the story and characters, but there's something for the men here, too. :)

I give it a 5 because it is has a couple of strong elements that allows it to rise above the many bad movies that are made these days. Unfortunately, this film also has many substandard elements to it. The aerials and the athleticism of the two principles are by far the best part of this movie. That part was well done, not overdone and definitely worth watching. I do a lot of dancing and athletics so I appreciate genuine athleticism mixed with art. The ending was also quirky, entertaining and not predictable.

Around the aerials and the ending, we get bad movie crafting and off-the shelf components that make the overall experience much worse than it should have been. The movie stands as a showcase of the aerials. The other elements are so bad that at the end, I would have preferred a quasi documentary using the aerials and snips of the training and interaction set to some music.

Obviously, some people are very "into" the theme of an "older" woman (she's not that old) who remains athletic. That appears to have them ignore the bad acting (both too little and too much at times), chunky directing/editing (really bad and it made the acting appear even worse), and predictable and old hat story elements and characterizations (the men-are-evil and traditional-families-are- stifling elements were particularly tired and unimaginative). The same can be said for the symbolic imagery. If you have been watching movies, you've seen all of this many times before.

So let's not make this out to be some kind of masterpiece of movie making! Let's appreciate what is genuinely good here and not pretend that the bad movie crafting and off-the-shelf elements are something special. They are not. Smoother directing and editing would have helped a lot. The story is totally predictable from the start with the exception of the ending. A thought came to me that this is "When Night is Falling" with the deck shuffled, the principles actually performing and focusing on the athletic routines and minus the dog. That might sum it up.

I truly enjoyed this film. It's rare to find a star who can pull off the physical aspects of any sports/dance themed film convincingly and do a first rate acting job as well. In this film you find two stars who rise to the occasion. Both women deliver warm, touching and at times humorous performances. The film also touched on a number of topics, from racial issues to sexual identity. And yet the approach wasn't heavy handed. The production values were also top notch for a small budget film. I saw this at the Philadelphia Gay & Lesbian film festival and went back to see it a second time. It was a real crowd pleaser. Everyone I spoke to seemed to enjoy this film.

This film tackles the subjects of loss, personal struggle and transformation in such a smart, artful, sensitive, and visually stunning way that I was completely transported. It is a rare gem of a film in the way it honors beauty and women. You'll have to see for yourself. Dreya Weber (Jane) masterfully portrays the subtleties of a remarkable if not somewhat broken personality, in a way that every woman will relate to. I found the honesty of the emotional interactions among characters to be very refreshing and profoundly engaging. There was nothing in this film that said to me "low budget" as far as quality is concerned. Nothing. The fact that it is a low-budget film is a tribute to the film's creators. The final sequence during the credits will also knock your socks off. It is a brilliant celebration of Jane's choice. Unexpected and inspiring.

...this one. What came to my mind immediately was Loving Annabelle, as it has this same kind of mature mood and distanced dealing with the subject. We simply observe as the story unfolds, without taking sides, or having to confront any "moral" issues (or of course we are, but are not spoon-fed them). Sure, there were some difficult facts to face, and choices to make, but it just flowed. Basically it was just like any other love story, in any other life, with any other sexes.

I personally found the girls having a good chemistry, and had fun with them on their night outs. The only thing i could really pinpoint as a problem would be it just felt kind of...retained. Held back. It's not about the sex scenes (or those missing), but given that i felt the film at its liveliest during the moments they were together having a good time, it kind of contrasted with the rest. Lowkey is good, but it just never quite sizzled like Loving Annabelle, nor touched me quite as much.

This said, i heartily recommend it, it's by no means a waste of ones precious time, on the contrary...

7/10