Nyad

Based on a true story, Nyad follows Annette Bening’s Diana Nyad as she sets out to complete a swim from Cuba to Florida that she attempted decades earlier. Filmmakers Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, armed with a screenplay by Julia Cox, deliver a fairly standard yet mostly compelling inspirational biopic that benefits significantly from its superb performances, as Bening turns in commanding, magnetic work that goes a long way towards anchoring the proceedings and compensating for its periodic lulls – with the actress’ top-notch efforts here certainly matched by her talented costars. (Rhys Ifans and Luke Cosgrove are very good here, yet it’s Jodie Foster, cast as Nyad’s longtime friend, who offers up the movie’s most memorable turn.) And although the overlong running time admittedly does pave the way for a somewhat repetitive second half, Nyad‘s inherently engrossing story, coupled with a smattering of unexpectedly engrossing sequences, ensures that the picture remains watchable and engaging right through to its emotional, satisfying finale – with the end result a better-than-expected real-life tale that’s elevated by its first-class players.

*** out of ****