GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL 2020 - Olympic Dreams
GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL 2020
In Jeremy Teicher’s Olympic Dreams – a snowy, idyllic portrait of brief romance – there lies an undercurrent of relatability that few other romance films strive for. The film encompasses the idea that aspirations and risk-taking can be further enlivened by making a connection with someone. This defines the motivations and interactions between the two leads. The 2018 Winter Olympic Games of Pyeongchang, South Korea serve as a comfortable backdrop for a romance driven by two characters who want to find warmth, security, and adventure in one another. What results is a quaint and wholesome film that deftly captures the nuance of everyday interactions and invests time in its characters.
Nick Kroll and Alexi Pappas are effortlessly charming together and the film wastes no time bringing their characters together. Kroll plays Ezra, a dentist who volunteers for the Olympics and strives to realise his ambitions and find something greater in life. Pappas plays Penelope, an Olympic skier who wants to win the games but feels uncertain in both her abilities and the direction of her life. When the two meet, they strike up an emotional connection that becomes more and more intense as they begin to realise that not only do their ambitions line up but they also bring out the best in one another.
The film is effective in establishing what each character is missing in their lives and how their connection either fulfills that void in some way or pushes them closer to becoming their best selves. Much of the film is about documenting their time together, captured in a cinema verite style which makes the two leads and the Olympic backdrop feel real and worth investing in.
The conflict arises from Ezra’s devotion to his ex-fiancée and Penelope’s much younger outlook on life. This conflict, however, drives very little of the story forward. The narrative also often relies on tropes and archetypes, particularly to push the characters along on their journey. The dialogue is at its worst when it allows the characters to outright state what they are feeling which robs the film of its nuance and subtle beauty at times.
Where the film sometimes lacks nuance in dialogue, it makes up for in how it captures the minutiae of human interaction. Small movements, little looks and gestures, underplayed displays of affection, all of it feels real and natural. What separates their brief connection from the grand romances of most films in this genre is how small it feels. The characters feel like they are in their own little world together. The size and scale of the film feels remarkably confined and focused. It therefore portrays real-life human connection in a true and genuine way. The script is rushed, the dialogue is corny at times, the story is airy and narratively light and the film sometimes feels like Olympic propaganda. However, its delicate portrayal of human interaction and relationships elevates it beyond its screenplay problems. Olympic Dreams is a poignant and beautiful little film with a believable and sweet core relationship. Despite clearly being commissioned by the Olympic Games, the documentary aesthetic grounds the film firmly in reality.
