Sounds pretty good? Mmmm, maybe not.
"The Gymnast" is, fundamentally, a story of a woman's journey to self. Soon it becomes apparent that the film misses its potential and falls into the Lifetime Movie of the Week genre. Like many others of the breed, it has comfortable elements: the self-involved/disinterested husband; the gregarious shoot-from-the-hip best friend; the not-quite out of the closet beautiful lesbian. If you don't expect it to be more than this, the film delivers. Performances are gentle and non-confrontational, the music soothing and sentimental (though on occasion a bit intrusive, another generic pitfall), the cinematography sensual and flattering.
One cannot escape the beauty of the the athleticism and this is where the film captivates. For those who dreaded P.E. class, watching the fusion of pure artistry and physical prowess is an enchanting view of a world both alien and fascinating, like watching breathtakingly beautiful sculptures come to life and fly about the heavens.
(Here be spoilers.)
Where it may lose you is where it should be at its best: the plot. Holes, gaps and downright lapses may cause verbal outbursts in some viewers. The deus ex machina removal of the third member of the ensemble; the downright gratuitous cell phone photo; the best friend gets drunk and says too much to the one person who can make the dream come true moments just show where the screenwriter falls into banal contrivance. Most blatant is the unbelievable 180 degree turnaround of the husband, with no authentic moment of revelation that would inspire his behavior, This flip of the switch to add dramatic conflict is a narrative belly flop.
Make no mistake, there are moments of genuine delight in this story. A trip to Koreatown showcases the chemistry that clearly exists between the two leads and is unique in that it focuses on their cultural differences rather than sexual ones. The truth behind many a woman's late night soak in the tub has not been told this artfully before. The coming out to the parents moment is unmistakably truthful. And as many have stated, the credit sequence is a gratifying dismount.
But those flashes of gratification are not enough to add up to a wholly satisfying film, particularly if you are a looking for the next "Desert Hearts". For a gay audience, it misses opportunities and clearly avoids others that allow the best of the straight woman/gay-themed films to remain memorable long after viewing. The elements that began with "Personal Best" and made "Desert Hearts" iconic films and move the genre forward are so clearly missing here that it is, at times, a little heartbreaking. But it is just those missing essentials that are the very things which will allow "The Gymnast" to play in heavy rotation on Logo and be added to the Netfilx queue because without them the film won't ruffle anyone's feathers. To a gay viewer, these omissions stand out like a pierced nipple.
"The Gymnast" is, fundamentally, a story of a woman's journey to self. Soon it becomes apparent that the film misses its potential and falls into the Lifetime Movie of the Week genre. Like many others of the breed, it has comfortable elements: the self-involved/disinterested husband; the gregarious shoot-from-the-hip best friend; the not-quite out of the closet beautiful lesbian. If you don't expect it to be more than this, the film delivers. Performances are gentle and non-confrontational, the music soothing and sentimental (though on occasion a bit intrusive, another generic pitfall), the cinematography sensual and flattering.
One cannot escape the beauty of the the athleticism and this is where the film captivates. For those who dreaded P.E. class, watching the fusion of pure artistry and physical prowess is an enchanting view of a world both alien and fascinating, like watching breathtakingly beautiful sculptures come to life and fly about the heavens.
(Here be spoilers.)
Where it may lose you is where it should be at its best: the plot. Holes, gaps and downright lapses may cause verbal outbursts in some viewers. The deus ex machina removal of the third member of the ensemble; the downright gratuitous cell phone photo; the best friend gets drunk and says too much to the one person who can make the dream come true moments just show where the screenwriter falls into banal contrivance. Most blatant is the unbelievable 180 degree turnaround of the husband, with no authentic moment of revelation that would inspire his behavior, This flip of the switch to add dramatic conflict is a narrative belly flop.
Make no mistake, there are moments of genuine delight in this story. A trip to Koreatown showcases the chemistry that clearly exists between the two leads and is unique in that it focuses on their cultural differences rather than sexual ones. The truth behind many a woman's late night soak in the tub has not been told this artfully before. The coming out to the parents moment is unmistakably truthful. And as many have stated, the credit sequence is a gratifying dismount.
But those flashes of gratification are not enough to add up to a wholly satisfying film, particularly if you are a looking for the next "Desert Hearts". For a gay audience, it misses opportunities and clearly avoids others that allow the best of the straight woman/gay-themed films to remain memorable long after viewing. The elements that began with "Personal Best" and made "Desert Hearts" iconic films and move the genre forward are so clearly missing here that it is, at times, a little heartbreaking. But it is just those missing essentials that are the very things which will allow "The Gymnast" to play in heavy rotation on Logo and be added to the Netfilx queue because without them the film won't ruffle anyone's feathers. To a gay viewer, these omissions stand out like a pierced nipple.