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This British indie movie centers around a female endurance swimmer facing real-life challenges, but its release coincides with the popularity of another Hollywood film, Nyad, which also revolves around a female endurance swimmer. While Nyad portrays a strong and determined athlete, this film is unfortunately struggling and seems hindered by obstacles like cramps and foot infections.
Kirsten Callaghan portrays Mercedes Gleitze, a young swimmer from Brighton, England in the 1920s. Her goal is to become the first British woman to swim across the English Channel. However, she encounters prejudice and discrimination, due to her German heritage, as she faces her journey. Her biggest rival in the female Channel-swimming competition is Edith Gade (played by Victoria Summer), a snobby and infamous cheater based on the disgraced swimmer, Mona McLennan. Edith’s deceitful actions taint the integrity of Mercedes’ honest efforts, leading her to have to retry her Channel crossing with a “vindication swim” due to harsh weather conditions.
Edith and Mercedes have a tense, competitive relationship centered around drinking cocktails, which adds some excitement to an otherwise dull film. Our main character has a typical, grumpy trainer named Harold Best, who is likely a mix of a real-life coach Bill Burgess and American swimmer Gertrude Ederle.
This film had the potential to be engaging, exciting, and surprisingly intricate. However, it ultimately fails to meet these expectations. The superficial period elements and overused genre tropes (similar to how George Clooney’s The Boys in the Boat also suffered) contribute to its downfall. Additionally, the lackluster delivery of lines and slow-paced direction only add to the film’s heavy and suffocating atmosphere.
Source: theguardian.com
