Second in the top Netflix, the film Les Nageuses is a biopic about two Syrian athletes who sought refuge in Germany after a long journey. To see or to skip?
What is it about ?
From Syria at war to the Rio Olympics in 2016, two sisters embark on a hazardous journey, during which they make heroic use of their champion skills.
Who is it with?
The production bet on two actress sisters of Lebanese origin to slip into the jerseys of Yuzra and Sarah. Nathalie Issa and Manal Issa are regulars on the big screen. The latter notably played in France in Peur de rien and Nocturama. The two young women here give the reply to Ahmed Malek and Matthias Schweighöfer, a face that Netflix subscribers know well since he played in Army of the Dead and Army of Thieves.
Worth a look?
Netflix subscribers are particularly fond of true stories. When it is not a question of serial killer or stalker, it is often those of extraordinary destinies. Yusra and Sarah Mardini fall into this category. Les Nageuses traces their history and achieves a feat: that of avoiding tears and pathos. On the contrary. The film, co-written by Jack Thorne (Enola Holmes) and Sally El Hosaini is an ode to hope and perseverance.
The two hours of the film are not enough to tell their whole story. The scenario sacrifices certain aspects: The swimmers never really take the time to place the historical context of the war in Syria and we never really feel the danger that surrounds our two heroines and pushes them to leave the country. But it is to better focus on their exile, which takes up a large part of the narration.
We quickly get attached to these two heroines so different and so complementary. Not surprising when you know that they are played by two sisters, with a striking resemblance. But we are also attached to this gallery of characters who surround them and with whom they have become friends. It is however necessary to wait for the last third of the film to have them arrived in Berlin. This is where they will cross paths with Sven (Schweighöfer), the swimming coach who will change Yusra’s life.
We regret one last thing, that the film does not take the time to detail Yusra’s participation in the Rio Olympics in 2016, which is only swept up in one shot. If the latter ends with Yusra’s victory, it does not tell us that the athlete could not reach the semi-finals in the end, because his score was not good enough…