Olympic Dreams Movie Review

Olympic Dreams was scripted by Alexi Pappas, Jeremy Teicher, and Nick Kroll Nick Kroll is an American Actor, Producer, Comedia >> Read More... . Jeremy Teicher directed it. Jeremy Teicher served as the cinematographer, and Pete Ohs as the editor. The music for the film was composed by Jay Wadley and Annie Hart. The film was produced by Jeremy Teicher, Alexi Pappas, Nick Kroll, Will Rowbotham, and Nora May. It features Alexi Pappas, Nick Kroll, Gus Kenworthy, and Morgan Schild. 

Plot

At the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, Alexi Pappas and Nick Kroll play a pair of lost souls who find each other halfway around the globe in this light-hearted romance. Penelope, a 22-year-old Olympic cross-country skier, experiences loneliness and displacement in South Korea after finishing outside of medal contention. Ezra works as a volunteer dentist at the games. When he sees Penelope eating by herself in the Olympic mess hall on an odd break from his girlfriend-turned-possible-fiance back home in New Jersey, he strikes up a conversation with her. They establish a connection and start to circle each other; they have chemistry, but Ezra is reluctant to act on it because of his position in life. Following their life-changing experiences at the Games, Penelope and Ezra return home with a fresh perspective on life enhanced by the Olympic ideals they have encountered.

Star Performance

Real-life Olympian Pappas (she's a long-distance runner), as Penelope, impresses despite her relatively less acting experience. Nick Kroll is also likable in the lead. 

Analysis

Olympic Dreams is a literary investigation of the Olympic ideals via narrative cinema, fusing fact and fiction to provide a singular, never-before-seen perspective on the Olympic Games. For the majority of its short 85-minute duration, the rest of the film is likewise energizingly honest and open. It is sublime how Teicher, Pappas, and Kroll allow things to unfold delicately and carefully. 

I adored that the film's central creative trio steered clear of clichés related to inspirational sports stories and romantic comedies. It also clearly and honestly examines the kinds of unexpected and fast friendships that can form in that strange circumstance. However, in doing so, it's possibly overly subdued to the point of being flat, and the dialogue frequently comes across as improvised and a little flat. By the end of the movie, the interactions between them are almost anticlimactic. Throughout the film, upbeat Korean pop music frequently plays, which enhances the feeling of location but occasionally comes across as corny. Although there isn't much depth to the bittersweet romance, it is sufficiently attractive due to the setting's novelty, inherent interest, and few incidental details.

What’s There?

• Likable protagonists

• A candid, relaxing script

What’s Not There?

• Somewhat lifeless dialogue

• The film, in the end, ends up feeling slight

Verdict

Olympic Dreams is a bold and energizing piece of work overall, though. A film like this presents a challenge, and Teicher, Pappas, and Kroll are up to it. Their successful collaboration is evident in the movie. Olympic Dreams is still a romantic comedy with endearing leads and a touching plot, even though its setting sets it apart from other comedies. It's difficult to overlook how independently-minded everyone is here.