The Gymnast
The Gymnast
| 11 April 2006 (USA)
The Gymnast Trailers

The stunning Dreya Weber stars as a former top gymnast who discovers love and a new life path when she teams up with a dancer (played by former L.A. Lakers cheerleader Addie Yungmee) for an ambitious Las Vegas aerial act show.

Reviews
thehappycow

Just a lovely film. The actresses and support actors are all really top notch, very understated and that is why it worked. Very believable, the viewer definitely can believe this could actually happen. I think both lead actresses take credit for that but the support cast is superb too. The beauty of the movie is powerful. Addie Yungmee is particularly lovely and appears to be steroid-free! Sometimes looking at Dreya Weber, especially when she 'dresses up' I feel like I am looking at a guy! I don't think there could be any doubt that she uses steroids, HGH, whatever, with her angular jaw and body that looks very masculine. But outside of that, all in all, the story itself is quite moving and really lovely. I have watched it several times. A gem of a movie.

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emet-2

Sounds pretty good? Mmmm, maybe not."The Gymnast" is, fundamentally, a story of a woman's journey to self. Soon it becomes apparent that the film misses its potential and falls into the Lifetime Movie of the Week genre. Like many others of the breed, it has comfortable elements: the self-involved/disinterested husband; the gregarious shoot-from-the-hip best friend; the not-quite out of the closet beautiful lesbian. If you don't expect it to be more than this, the film delivers. Performances are gentle and non-confrontational, the music soothing and sentimental (though on occasion a bit intrusive, another generic pitfall), the cinematography sensual and flattering. One cannot escape the beauty of the the athleticism and this is where the film captivates. For those who dreaded P.E. class, watching the fusion of pure artistry and physical prowess is an enchanting view of a world both alien and fascinating, like watching breathtakingly beautiful sculptures come to life and fly about the heavens.(Here be spoilers.)Where it may lose you is where it should be at its best: the plot. Holes, gaps and downright lapses may cause verbal outbursts in some viewers. The deus ex machina removal of the third member of the ensemble; the downright gratuitous cell phone photo; the best friend gets drunk and says too much to the one person who can make the dream come true moments just show where the screenwriter falls into banal contrivance. Most blatant is the unbelievable 180 degree turnaround of the husband, with no authentic moment of revelation that would inspire his behavior, This flip of the switch to add dramatic conflict is a narrative belly flop.Make no mistake, there are moments of genuine delight in this story. A trip to Koreatown showcases the chemistry that clearly exists between the two leads and is unique in that it focuses on their cultural differences rather than sexual ones. The truth behind many a woman's late night soak in the tub has not been told this artfully before. The coming out to the parents moment is unmistakably truthful. And as many have stated, the credit sequence is a gratifying dismount.But those flashes of gratification are not enough to add up to a wholly satisfying film, particularly if you are a looking for the next "Desert Hearts". For a gay audience, it misses opportunities and clearly avoids others that allow the best of the straight woman/gay-themed films to remain memorable long after viewing. The elements that began with "Personal Best" and made "Desert Hearts" iconic films and move the genre forward are so clearly missing here that it is, at times, a little heartbreaking. But it is just those missing essentials that are the very things which will allow "The Gymnast" to play in heavy rotation on Logo and be added to the Netfilx queue because without them the film won't ruffle anyone's feathers. To a gay viewer, these omissions stand out like a pierced nipple.

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Hanh Nguyen

This is one of a very few movies with terrific acting, wonderful story line and worthwhile to watch. It is about changes in life. It is about how happiness can be found when one is true to oneself. It is about accepting oneself and others. It is about life challenges. It is about coming to term with reality. It is about courage. It is about love. Both actresses are very true to their role. The actresses had very good chemistry between one another in the movie. This is the key of the movie that made the movie. It is rare to see an independent film like this one. One could tell the hard work that the film crew had to have while producing this movie. I wish to see more movie from this producer/writer. See the movie, you will love it.

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psychogothkitty

The relationship between the main characters I thought was very realistic. How the two end up involved is believable. It doesn't have that whole "oh yeah right" that most Hollywood movies have. Not too mention how they captured the sexy, beautiful and painful side of trapeze. I am a trapeze student and I love that they showed how hard it is on the body, hands and yeah those fabric burns are brutal! Definitely a must see for the relationship as well as the art that is made in the movie. I loved it! I'm happy with the way the movie ended but I definitely wanted to see more. Be sure to stay seated through the credits for a special treat hehe. Great scene!

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