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Vindication Swim
UK 2024
produced by Sally Humphreys Wood, Douglas McJannet, Simon Hasler, Kirsten Callaghan (executive), Mike Green (executive), Nicola Pearcey (executive), Matt Pearcey (executive) for Relsah Films, Sea High Productions, Arden Entertainment, Picnik Entertainment
directed by Elliott Hasler
starring Kirsten Callaghan, John Locke, Victoria Summer, Douglas Hodge, James Wilby, Justin Hayward, Sam Bullen, Matthew Wyn Davies, Mike Skinner, John Tolputt, Anthony Arundell, David Aitchison, Owen Oldroyd, James Wingate, Culann Smyth, Melodie Tyrer, Tim Loughton, Kenneth Omole, Chloe Heaver, Michael Cronin, James Heath, Jamie Cranfield, Bob Broad, Kerri Hedley-Cheney, Jamie Langlands, Edward Miller, Alice Rogers, Tim Secrett, Luke Shaw, Russell Shaw, Scott Welch
written by Elliott Hasler, music by Daniel Clive McCallum
review by Mike Haberfelner
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For all of her life, Mercedes Gleitze (Kirsten Callaghan) has dreamed
about being the first woman to swim across the English Channel. Seven
times she has tried already, and seven times she has failed, her last
attempt two years ago ending in utter exhaustion. Now it's 1927, and
American Gertrude Ederle (Melodie Tyrer) has just become the first female
swimmer to cross the Channel, much to Mercedes' disappointment. But her
ambition has never waned, and again she's on the look-out for sponsors and
coaches to at least become the first British woman to swim across. Thing
is, the Swimming Association under Sir Coleridge (John Tolputt) is already
backing another woman, Edith Gade (Victoria Summer), whose attempt is only
months away, and from her meagre budget, Mercedes can only manage to hire
washed up former championship swimmer Harold Best (John Locke) as her
coach - and she has little time if she wants to make her swim before
Edith. However, her talent, determination and physical prowess see to it
that she succeeds in her endeavour - and for some weeks afterwards, she's
celebrated as a bona fide celebrity. But then, Edith makes the swim as
well, and manages to do it in two hours less, a record Mercedes cannot
believe for various reasons - and soon enough she's proven right in her
suspicion as Edith's record is proven to be a hoax. Thing is, with Edith
having cheated, Mercedes' record is put in doubt as well, and she has to
defend it in front of a commitee that seems to have already come to the
conclusion to revoke the record. So Mercedes, tired of fighting, decides
to prove them all wrong - by crossing the Channel one more time ... A
very engaging sports drama, especially since it avoids the mistake of too
many movies of its ilk out there to make its story overly
"inspiring" and push for a happy ending a bit too hard. Instead,
Vindication Swim is basically a character piece with its highs and
lows and not quite the ending one would expect - and it's all the better
for it. And of course, a very solid ensemble cast also helps in this
respect. Plus, one mustn't forget the quite artistic camerawork that
alternates between black and white and colour with the greatest of ease
and goes for carefully framed pictures rather than just letting the (often
aleady impressive) locations speak for themselves, giving the film a very
special flare. And all of this put together makes for a pretty awesome
watch, actually.
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review © by Mike Haberfelner
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Robots and rats,
demons and potholes, cuddly toys and shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill Your Bones to is all of that.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to -
a collection of short stories and mini-plays ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle,
all thought up by the twisted mind of screenwriter and film reviewer Michael Haberfelner.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to
the new anthology by Michael Haberfelner
Out now from Amazon!!! |
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