Nyad (2023)

Nyad

• I can certainly see why this movie has gotten the praise that it’s got. Is it Best Picture quality? No, but it was pretty good. Of course, there’s some things I wasn’t a huge fan of (like most things), but I was very invested. I’ve never heard of Diana Nyad before seeing this, which is quite surprising, considering what she did. It’s really cool to see someone do what she did, especially despite her gender and age. It’s very inspirational, and reminds me a lot of ‘Rocky Balboa’. It has the same vibe. The story is based on her actual swimming events (obviously), but I’m not gonna say what she did or why, so I’ll let you see that for yourself. There’s not a whole lot to spoil, it’s just a cool story that is fun and nerve wracking to watch unfold. The duo of Annette Bening and Jodie Foster was perfect, with super solid performances from both of them. It’s really hard to see pictures and videos of the real Diana Nyad, solely because Bening did such a magnificent job. She perfectly embodies exactly what Diana is. Speaking of real footage, I really loved how this movie includes a lot of old news footage and audio of the real Diana’s actual ventures. It authenticates the movie beautifully, while not taking the spotlight off of Bening. I wish more would do that the way this one did. Finally, I loved the effects and cinematography, which add to the gorgeous yet scary look of the ocean. All the lights and underwater angles were cool, and that scene with the sky and stars? My gosh it was beautiful. Overall, this movie was pretty good all around, although my biggest complaint is just that it can feel slow and repetitive. And it wasn’t anything super duper impressive, and I can certainly understand why Bening and Foster have been nominated the way they have, but this isn’t anything groundbreaking. Anyways, I’d definitely recommend it if you like sports movies, similar to those like ‘Rocky Balboa’ and other good comeback stories. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!