- Actors: Nick Kroll, Alexi Pappas
- Director: Jeremy Teicher
- Disc Format: NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Region: Region 1
- Number of discs: 1
- Rated: Parents Strongly CautionedPG-13
- Studio: IFC Independent Film
- DVD Release Date: May 19, 2020
- Run Time: 82 minutes
If I were to describe an independent film
starring an actor known for his comedic roles who encounters and engages in a
flirtatious friendship with a much younger woman while on a job in a foreign
country, it would be easy to mistake my description for the 2003 hit, Lost in Translation. This just goes to
prove that independent films, for all of their claims of creative originality,
can also be guilty of formulaic plotting and derivative content, because the
exact same description works for 2019’s Olympic
Dreams. While it is a likable enough film, the only original element of
this newer independent dramedy about two lonely souls meeting in an unfamiliar
city is the setting. And while being the first film to be shot inside of the
actual Olympic Village is a certain claim of originality, the filmmakers seem
far more preoccupied with this element of the storytelling than the character
development or dialogue.
We are first
introduced to Penelope (Alexi Pappas), a cross-country skier competing at the
Olympic Games for the first time. Ezra (Nick Kroll) is a volunteer dentist
excited to be involved and eager to talk with anyone he meets, though Penelope
is less than interested when he introduces himself the morning before her
event. But after she finishes competing, Penelope is quickly left with the
uncertainty of her next move. Without the support of a coach or family member
with her, she turns to the friendly dentist that tried to befriend her.
The relationship
is not completely platonic, though this film would be wrongly classified as a
romance. Though there is certainly an attraction between the two characters,
Ezra is wise enough to realize that their impact on each other’s lives is far
more meaningful than a physical fling. This is about the way that people we
encounter, even briefly, can greatly impact the trajectories of our lives. It
is a beautiful theme, but hardly an original one. From Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise series to Barry Jenkins’
directorial debut, Medicine for
Melancholy, not to mention the aforementioned Lost in Translation, this has long been a staple in independent
filmmaking story tropes. Enjoyment of Olympic
Dreams comes down to an audience member’s enjoyment of these kinds of films
and acceptance of the unoriginality, which may be helped by the cast and/or the
setting.
Part of the
appeal in the film is being able to see the various backstage elements of the 2018
PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The Olympic Village is highly utilized within the
filming and screenplay itself, so much that director Jeremy Teicher often seems
as distracted from the plot as the audience is. It is this weird environment,
where the participants in the film are also often actual participants in the
Olympics (there is even a supporting speaking role for real-world athlete Gus
Kenworthy). Unfortunately, this gets old after a while. The most interesting
aspect of the film is this indescribable relationship that Ezra and Penelope
have, and that often gets put on the backburner so that the director can show
us the rows of massage chairs made available to athletes.
The DVD for
Olympic Dreams is pretty bare. This is especially disappointing considering the
more interesting aspect of the film was the production itself. It would have
been nice to see how they filmed during the Olympics, and, what obstacles they
faced, but there are no making-of featurettes to be found.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 5.5/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
Special Features: 0/10
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