British actor/director Dexter Fletcher’s inspirational underdog story “Eddie the Eagle” (2016) starts as usual with the tag that follows around sports biopic pictures – ‘based on a true story’ (nowadays even ghost stories boast that tag too). In traditional sportsmen biopic, this tag is kind of a warning to not ‘google’ and find out about the life of this particular person before watching the film. Since, 9 out of 10 times, you will be scratching your head wondering about the accuracy and perspective of the true events portrayed on cinema. The poster, plot and actors in “Eddie the Eagle” have clued me in on what to expect from it. I know the existence of Winter Olympics, although I haven’t grasped any details on ski-jumping. I haven’t heard the name of British ski jumper Edwards before reading the plot of this movie and most importantly I was really intrigued because the movie had Hugh Jackman, neither playing Wolverine nor an agonized human being. “Eddie the Eagle” is the kind of underdog story which reminds you of ‘ignorance is bliss’. And in return for your ignorance, you get quite a few inspirational lessons and good entertainment. The feelings of those who expect a formulaic story with abundance of charm will soar like eagle and land safely, but those questioning its schmaltzy elements or nearsighted conventions will only feel like the person hitting head first at the ski floor.
British plasterer Eddie Edwards only learned skiing in his
early 20’s and traveled through a wildly unconventional path to represent Great
Britain in Calgary Winter Olympics 1988. The champion ski jumpers usually learn
skiing, from the age of five or six and they have the best coaches. So, Eddie had no
chance from the beginning and all he had was tenacity, determination and
lovably goofy aspiration. At 1988 Winter Olympics, Eddie actually became a
B-list celebrity, who despite breaking the British record twice (actually not
many Britishers tried ski-jumping since 1929), came last in both the
ski-jumping categories. The media loved his antics to try and portray as
adventurous simpleton. Eddie became the example for ‘taking part not winning is
important’ line. In the narrative, Hugh Jackman plays an imagined character Bronson Peary who coaches Eddie on his
landing methods.
The movie hits every
formula you could expect it to hit. Are the well funded competitors portrayed
as bullies and snobs? Check. Does the father crush Eddie’s dream and mother
supports his dream? Check. Does the British Olympic Association is led by
upper-crust men with sneering looks? Check (although this might be a true fact
for many Olympic associations around the world). Is Bronson Peary a disgraced
ski-jumper fallen into the perils of alcoholism before agreeing to coach Eddie?
Check. With all such box-ticking formulas, you only wonder where’s the mundane
romantic interest (may be a beautiful girl to equal Eddie’s klutzy nature)? But
thank god and writers Macaulay & Kelton for not imbibing false romance. Nevertheless,
“Eddie the Eagle” remains highly watchable due to its lead performance from
Taron Egerton and due to fittingly broad directorial strokes.
Egerton previously
played confident, good-looking young man in World War I drama “Testament of
Youth” and in saving-the-world movie “Kingsmen”. Here Egerton transforms him into
an unabashedly plucky guy with big eyes peering through enormous glasses. With
his presentation of Eddie, Egerton never turns the ski-jumper into a caricature
or an object of ridicule. He gracefully diffuses the child-like naivete,
awkward demeanor and ardent determination, eventually making us cheer for the
man on-screen, although we have per-determined his path and adventures. Hugh
Jackman exudes warmth and offers fine support to Egerton, although his role is
thoroughly cliched. Director does his best to incite fun within the
conventions. Yes, he embraces the routine montages, heroic slow-motions and
paints everything as bright and breezy (and the movie is down-step when compared
to Fletcher’s good debut feature “Wild Bill”). But, somehow Fletcher saves the
movie from sinking deep into the sentimental swamp. The ski-jumps are well
staged and have tried to instigate anticipation in each of the ski-jumps . The camerawork
is quite in these elevated jump sequences, equally mixing vertigo and pleasure.
In the end, Egerton and Fletcher seem like vital elements in not changing this
movingly simple movie into a stupidly cliched experience. I also loved the
electro score and triumphant soundtracks (whose names I don’t even know).
Trailer
“Eddie the Eagle” (106 minutes) is simplistic, elementary, and
formulaic, but still it boasts a undeniable, charming emotional intensity that
keeps us entertained till the last frame. Like the real-life “Eddie”, the movie
too won’t win any big medals or awards, although it cheered me a lot.
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