The Gymnast Reviews

• Good film - needs more sex though ...

  
  By ASJZIXGRCKBHZ on 2007-08-13
  A married woman in her mid 30's becomes bored with her daily routine as a massage therapist and impulsively signs up for trapeze artist class. The woman quickly finds out that she's pretty very good at performing all the incredibly difficult gyrations she has to perform on those ropes far above the floor because she was once a teenage professional gymnast.
  
  The main text of this film is about a woman rediscovering her passion for life after tolerating a dull and passionless existence with her husband who doesn't know or appreciate her. The secondary part of this film is about the woman falling for her female trapeze artist partner, who is a lesbian. I thought this was a charming little film that needed more work on the romance/lovemaking part (i.e. the lesbian sex part was very tame and very brief). I also wanted to see more romance (not sex, ROMANCE and PASSION!) between the two women. Again, this film is more about the 'gymnast' reclaiming her soul after admitting that her marriage has become dull and meaningless rather than a romantic lesbian film. As an addendum, I spoke to the actress who starred in this film after I saw it at the Cleveland International Film Festival in early 2007, and told her that the movie needed more sex and passion, and she said that a lot of people had told her that She also told me she's making another `lesbian' film and there will be more lovemaking in it.
  
  
  

• Girls in Love

  
  By A3Q1GB17EH17UD on 2007-09-27
  "The Gymnast"
  
  Girls in Love
  
  Amos Lassen
  
  Wolfe Video announces the release of the movie that has wowed festivals and gained a place in the hearts of many, "The Gymnast". Challenging ideas of identity and ability, "The Gymnast" is an exquisite film dealing with hope and taking steps to be oneself.
  Jane Hawkins (Dreya Weber) is a gymnast and an impressive one who is at the top rung of her career when an injury ends her career. She channels her energy, her strength and her passion into a job she finds tedious and boring as a massage therapist. Living in a loveless marriage, it appears that all adventure is gone from her life when she has a chance meeting that sets her life in a new direction. She meets Serena (Addie Yungmee) who performs in an aerial act and is both beautiful and extremely mysterious. Each of the women is taken in by the other but distractions occur. Jane bemoans that she has no children and Serena lives as a lesbian who is still closeted and is plagued by stereotypes as an adopted Korean daughter of Jewish parents. The two prepare for an audition for a Las Vegas show, the attraction between the two women becomes even stronger and the result is a look at identity and ability.
  This is a must-see film. The gymnastics are fantastic and the acting is superb. What these two women do on the screen is beyond imagination, not just physically but emotionally as well.
  "The Gymnast" looks at love, loss, personal struggle and transformation and it honors both women and beauty. Jane is "everywoman". She as had a wonderful life with a great deal in her favor yet she is unhappy. She has strength and intelligence but an accident stops her and she lives a life of misery. To fill her life, she seeks challenges and as she does so, we feel her despair and hopelessness but we also admire the power of her convictions. She stuns with her performance and we cheer for her as she discovers love and a new path after she meets and teams up with Serena. Jane's broken personality shows her honesty
  and beauty.
  Director Ned Far captures the relationship between the two women in a beautiful and realistic way and the movie engages the viewer in a most profound way.
  Everything about "The Gymnast" is first class--the acting, the directing, the cinema photography, the music. The treatment of "coming to terms" with sexuality as well as aging, relationships, self-discovery and courage are all explicated on a high level and relate to issues that so many of us face. It isn't just a good story; it is a visual feast with absolutely gorgeous aerial performances. Photographing happiness is no easy task and coming to terms with reality is even more difficult. This movie does both--stylishly and with a great deal of grace.
  
  
  

• A Delightful Love Story

  
  By A3JM1IMUMDJ5WQ on 2007-08-01
  I saw this movie and I must say, it is a delightful love story. The tale of finding your sexuality at any age helps many people open their eyes with the help of The Gymnast's colorful cast and a superb script. The movie is brilliantly directed and is very realisic to modern day love stories and helps the viewers understand what happens when a person realizes they might not be staright after all and how it begins to affect those around them. This movie is a great treat for both gays and straights and is highly recommended.
  
  
  
  

• magnificent story

  
  By A3FIWTTRW7K8QO on 2007-09-03
  What a beautiful love story!!! - with great tenderness, humor and amazing visual performances. I loved every second. Dreya Weber is a very talented actress and aerialist, what a wonderful character to play - she did it flawlessly!!!! Don't forget to watch the rolling credits - a cute scene plays through it - my favorite part!!!!
  
  

• Exceptional, Heart warming,,,,,

  
  By A10U75RDVEG72W on 2007-10-10
  This was an exceptional movie compared to many movies I have seen and found to be low budget. I highly recommened this to anyone looking for a movie to keep you interested. It is of strength and courage and the true endurance of two women once they have truely found each other. Very well done. A wonderful ending. Are there more movies like this from the same producers? Thank you amazon for suggesting it from my previous orders.
  
  
• not bad
  By A2M82CW0D7ZZKM on 2008-02-09
  this film was ok. the acting wasn't great. the story was one that i feel several people could identify with, but took too long to unfold. if you're looking for a lot of lesbianism in a film this is not what you're looking for. this movie centers on a woman who is unhappy with her life (marriage, no children, failed childhood dream) and while she is looking to recapture some of that childhood glory finds herself falling in love with a lesbian.
  
  
• Great movie.
  By A36T8O6GTLG7SF on 2008-03-10
  Thoroughly enjoyed this movie. A bit of intrigue, great story, sexual without the actual sex. Feel good movie.
  
  
• Another straight women's forray in and pull back
  By AHGLU56OZWBDL on 2008-10-02
  The picture on the cover would lead you to believe this is a lesbian love story. It's not. It's another tired straight women wants to but then she doesn't want to... Should be rated PG.
  
  
• no real chemistry
  By A1XLUUU1NNE15V on 2007-10-01
  While the premise of the movie is interesting, there wasn't any chemistry between the two leads. Disappointing, but not entirely without merit.
  
  
• and now for something completely different
  By A1K3U413WXGDDL on 2007-10-02
  it's not really so much a lesbian movie but one of fate and choices. the story line was great.the main caracter never really dominates the scenes with the subcaraters which is very refreshing. to me what really made this movie is the scene at the end as the credits are rolling it let you know that everthing was going to be alright regardless of what happens.
  
  
• The Gymnast
  By A23XWEQ6CLEYHT on 2007-10-09
  "The Gymnast" was interesting, creative and beautiful from an athletic/ poetic point of view. As far as the love-story went; it seemed realistic which is sometimes not always the happiest ending. I liked it enough to watch twice to see what I missed the first time. I would conmmend it to anyone who like gymnastics, gymnasts, or creative dance.
  
  
• Not what I expected.
  By A5ITQCMA1C9D1 on 2007-10-17
  The gymnast. Not bad, but not great. From the preveiw I saw, I expected more from the movie. Was a little slow, but the story was good. Just saw it as being long for what the story was about. It was not a "lesbian" movie really. More about the trials of sport. I will watch it again, but for now it can wait.
  
  
• Awesome movie! I've already seen it 4 times.
  By A3TXDO9392M8NJ on 2008-09-25
  A beautiful story about two women finding each other by making performance art in an unusual way.
  
  More stories with a lesbian theme:
  Driftwood
  Artemesian Artist (Lavender Line) (Lavender Line)
  Gaia's Guardian (Lavender Line) (Lavender Line)
  
  
  
  
• The Gymnast
  By A3MI7QCNPRLD7K on 2007-10-22
  Movie was not what i expected....Very good, but left for wanting more.. happy ever after???, an emotional response....
  
  
• Really great movie
  By A3QNSNRQGVCILS on 2007-11-04
  What a great movie. There are so few good movies that deal with gymnastics or circus arts in a mature way. Yes, sure, "Trapeze" with Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis was really great but there are so few others. This movie is like a behind the scenes look at how you might imagine some performers make their way to Cirque Du Soleil. And pretty much all of the characters are beleivable and "real". No 2-dimensional "Bad" or "Good" guys here. And the female leads and sub characters are so likelable and interesting. Be sure to watch right through to the very end, one of the most heartwarming scenes in the whole movie occurs in little snippets as the credits are rolling and a great Jane Silberry song is playing in the background.
  
  Plus this is what a DVD should be. The behind the scenes extras really gives a lot of great complementary info about how the movie and performances came to be and has great outtakes of some performances. And there is a related short movie called "The Catcher".
  
  

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