Ridley shines in story swimming with cliché & inspiration.

You don’t really need me to tell you this, but Disney are pretty good at a great many things, however, the one that always seems to fly under the radar is their innate ability to pull off a cracking underdog tale. Whether it’s Cool Runnings, Queen of Katwe, The Mighty Ducks, or Remember the Titans, Disney have been nailing the inspirational, against-all-odds sports movie for decades now.

Sure, as wildly inspiring as they can be, the predictable formula that fuels these stories means there’s always a ceiling to what they can achieve. You can have the most rousing, most moving story in the world, but if we’ve all seen it before, there’s only so far you can take things. So, with yet another underdog tale making it off the Disney production line, do the studio still have what it takes to inspire us?

Through the steadfast support of her older sister and trainers, accomplished swimmer Trudy Ederle (Daisy Ridley) must overcome adversity and the animosity of a patriarchal society to rise through the ranks of the Olympic swimming team and complete a then unthinkable achievement – a 21-mile trek across the treacherous waters of the Channel from France to England.

Despite the obvious issues with following a familiar formula, the highly predictable nature of the underdog story is undoubtedly a big part of its appeal. Whether or not you’re aware of the real-life story behind an against-all-odds movie is relatively irrelevant, as the comfortable familiarity of these stirring tales of ground breakers, innovators, and pioneers are precisely why we return to them again and again.

To this end, Young Woman and the Sea is no different from all the true-life underdog tales before it. Like its predecessors, there’s a structure and a particular storytelling approach to this film that many will instantly recognise, however, while there are plenty of ways that Young Woman and the Sea’s brand of predictable storytelling could’ve gone wrong, in this instance, they’ve nailed it.

With minimum fuss and maximum impact, Young Woman and the Sea knows precisely what it’s doing with its source material, as director Joachim Rønning effectively and efficiently utilises the natural drama and feelgood nature of Trudy Ederle’s story to wring the most from it. The result, while almost inevitably littered with issues, is nothing short of delightful.

With little time for subtleties, Jeff Nathanson’s writing is as on-the-nose as it gets, however, despite its blunt nature, the script’s successes far outweigh its failures. Ripe, saccharine, and overtly corny though it may be, there’s a lot to be said for Young Woman and the Sea’s steadfastly no-nonsense approach and, rather than fight it, if you allow yourself to get swept along in its tide, you’re in for a thrilling, thoroughly soul nourishing ride.

The issues with the script are certainly there and stretched out over a lengthy 2+ hour runtime, the writing’s problems are inevitably exposed. Join-the-dots, flatpack filmmaking at its finest, the longer Young Woman and the Sea’s story goes on, the more obvious its problems become, yet, like a seasoned long-distance swimmer, just as things start to drag, there’s always a second wind there ready to push it forward.

With a few well-timed twists and plenty of fist-pumping moments sprinkled here there and everywhere, your investment in the story is well earned and kept impressively high throughout; and despite many plot wobbles along the way, Joachim Rønning’s functional (if unspectacular) direction is more than enough to back up the natural appeal of the story and keep you on the hook.

And this, in a nutshell, is how Young Woman and the Sea succeeds. With minimal flare and a rather drab visual style, the film may not instantly grab you, however, with a superbly crafted period setting, a naturally rousing story, great performances, and just enough spark afforded to the crucial swimming sequences, Young Woman and the Sea gets the job done and gets it done well enough to keep its head well above water.

With a downbeat colour pallet and a decidedly functional appearance, Young Woman and the Sea is really nothing to write home about stylistically, and certainly lacks the kind of instant appeal that the likes of Cool Running and Remember the Titans possessed, however, the platform it lays down for the story is a very solid one, giving it every possible chance of success.

This solid foundation also plays a crucial role in allowing the performances, particularly that of Daisy Ridley, the opportunity to shine. A hero’s journey is only ever as successful as its hero, and in Ridley’s Trudy Ederle, we have an infinitely likeable protagonist that’s incredibly easy to root for.

Bringing an abundance of likability and natural charm to Trudy, Ridley breathes life into a role that, in lesser hands, could’ve easily sunk without a trace. Digging deep into her filmography to give her inner Rey another airing, Ridley exudes the kind of heroic underdog charm crucial for the part, doing what’s necessary to pull you in and keep you invested in her journey.

Balancing the necessary physicality required for such a role with a mix of charisma, warmth, and fragility, Ridley fits perfectly with the material while blending well with the solid supporting cast around her; one that includes a typically excellent, and very welcome, Stephen Graham performance.

Ultimately, despite its clear limitations, it’s just impossible not to fall for Young Woman and the Sea’s abundant charms. The core story is a true inspiration on its own, and while there are so many ways it could’ve gone wrong, there’s more than enough present here to do Trudy’s inspiring tale justice.

With non-existent marketing, a questionable title, and a distinct lack of wide release, it’s rather touch-and-go whether Young Woman and the Sea will actually be the winner with mass cinema audiences that it sorely deserves; however, for those willing to open their hearts and allow the film and its story to swim in, you will not be disappointed.

With a lauded but lowkey history of putting out against-all-odds bangers, Disney certainly know how to pull off an inspiring underdog tale and they’ve done it again with Young Woman and the Sea. Yes, it has its limitations and does exactly what you expect it to with the naturally uplifting story at its disposal, yet it’s utterly impossible to resist Young Woman and the Sea’s inspirational charms. NYAD could never.