Nyad

In 2011, the year I graduated high school, long-distance swimmer, Diane Nyad make a risky attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida. Injuries caused her to put a halt. After a few failed attempts since 1979, Nyad finally achieved her goal in 2013. Her life story caught the public’s attention. Oscar winning documentary husband and wife duo, Jimmy Chin & Chai Vasarhelyi signed on to direct a film based on Nyad’s goal starring Annette Benning & Jodie Foster.

Nyad premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2023 and later became available to stream on Netflix. It received positive reviews from critics and streamers alike. Now that Awards Season is around the corner, I saw a short preview of Nyad on TV with a few critics praising it. I was curious about it, did some research on Nyad’s background. One more thing, Jodie Foster will star in True Detective’s upcoming fourth season. It’ll air on January 14, 2024. As a fan of the HBO series, I wanna share my thoughts on this film.

It doesn’t matter if SPOILERS are listed. We’re fully aware of Nyad’s accomplishment.

Float & Sink Aspects

Float: Annette Benning & Jodie Foster both did a great job for their respective performances. Shame the latter dislikes Marvel movies. What a buzzkill. She hurt my feelings bad mouthing superheroes.

Rhys Ifan (Lizard from The Amazing Spider-Man) did a good job for his performance.

Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi both did a solid job directing.

Alexandre Desplat (Moonrise Kingdom, Zero Dark Thirty, The Shape of Water) orchestrated the soundtrack.

Cinematography didn’t suffer from technical issues.

Flashbacks show Nyad’s childhood.

Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence” is played during the Opening Credits. It was also used in one of my favorite films, “Watchmen.” I would’ve given this movie an Extra Point if they included Mac Miller’s “Get ‘Em Up” during a montage sequence. Mac’s one of my heroes. God bless his soul.

The real Nyad was on set as a consultant. Giving the cast and crew advice.

If you wanna spice things up a notch, take a shot every time somebody says, Nyad. I’d stick to water on anything non-alcoholic. I don’t promote alcohol poisoning.

The End Credits reveal what Nyad’s doing nowadays.

Sink: Pacing often feels like carrying a huge anchor. Gets repetitive whenever Nyad gets injured, her partner/coach, Bonnie quarrels about risking her life. Afterwards, she jumps back in the ocean. It’s like looking at two people playing ping-pong before resuming the mission.

The film isn’t accurate. There’s no indication where Nyan signs an agreement to swim from Cuba to Florida. If you’re take a big gamble worth your life, you have to obtain a permit. Another thing, goal was never ratified without observers present. Sadly, the Guinness Book of Records rejected her achievement.

The Final Verdict: B, FOR BOLD!

Although not flawless like Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” Nyad’s a great movie, but inaccurate. If you’re into movies based on real life figures, give this one a try. If you think Nyad’s totally inaccurate, the animated movie, “Balto” lied to the public.