Olga

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brent m What's one to do when caught between the fulfillment of personal achievement or taking a stand for a larger cause? What's more, what's one to do when the available choices are compounded by complications that make it difficult to decide and subsequently act? Such is the conundrum for a talented 15-year-old gymnast who's the daughter of a Ukrainian mother and a Swiss father while she trains for the 2014 European Championships in Switzerland as the deadly Maidan Revolt rages in her homeland. Should she remain afar and continue with her training, or should she return to Ukraine to join the fight with her investigative journalist mother and activist best friend/former teammate? It's a lot to consider for someone of any age, but, for a gifted adolescent, it's an exceedingly exasperating choice, especially when she's also forced to address the additional issues of jealous teammates, injury and deciding which country to devote her loyalty. Writer-director Elie Grappe's debut feature walks a perilous, tension-filled tightrope in telling a taut, compelling story that successfully fuses the political thriller and sports drama genres, featuring a superb lead performance by former Ukrainian gymnast Anastasia Budiashkina. Admittedly, there are a few under-explained gaps in the narrative that detract from the flow of the story, and some of the atmospheric cinematography definitely could have been improved upon. However, when it comes to the elements that matter most, it's easy to see how this offering captured the SACD Prize at the 2021 Cannes Critics' Week and also earned nominations for the film festival's Golden Camera Award and Critics' Week Grand Prize. "Olga" may not have attracted a lot of attention in its initial theatrical release, but it should have and definitely deserves to now that it's available for streaming. Give it a look – you won't be disappointed. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Valerii Ege D Olga is just one of the innocent people caught in the Ukraine-Russia conflict that has been going on since 2014. Even though she is far away from the events, her mind always stays on her hometown, where she was dying to escape. If the events never happened, Ukraine would have been a country she visited occasionally. However, the war raises her nationalist feelings at a young age, causing her to make decisions that will completely change her future. These feelings are not exaggerated in the movie. The fact that the subject is not dramatized too much, that the director does not interfere with the film too much, and that the fictional additions he has added are successful causes the film to flow like water. The movie, which can be boring for someone who has nothing to do with the subject, will give many things to think about for people who become part of this conflict. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/05/22 Full Review Read all reviews

Olga

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