Another recommendation from my mom. She actually enjoyed this one. And of course, I decided to check it out. And, although it's not a masterpiece, I can still say that it's worth my time.
The plot focuses on two fence fighters that are different and same at the same time. The wise professional Alexandra Pokrovskaya and the energetic and hot headed Kira Egorova. Both have different ways of winning, and the two at first were rivals at the audition, especially when Kira won it and became famous very quick, being later nicknamed as the Russian panther, due to her speed abilities. But unfortunately, one training day, Kira accidentally pulled her leg, and she had to stop training. But she decided to keep going. However, she had to continue with Alexandra, to teach her paying attention and not thinking too fast. And at the end, there will be an Olympic competition, that will determine whether the women are good at fencing or not. It is a great plot, especially with it's message without giving up, but also needing to balance speed and carefulness.
I also like the fact that the character are opposites. Kira is fast, hot headed and free spirited newbie, that got successful very quickly. But after a sudden failure, where she pulled her leg, she had to try again and be more skillful. She is actually a relatable character to most teens and young adults, cause she has wishes and motivation, that could lead her to lot's of wins in competitions. But does have flaws, like in one scene, where her dad came to visit her, she was angry at him, and asked him to get out. I think that was rude, but does make her more realistic, cause lot's of young people are prone to strong emotions, thus making her a well developed character. Alexandra Pokrovskaya is also an important character in this story. She has won a lot of Olympics and is about to retire, and she at first she sees Kira as a rival, but later, she trains her and later both team up for the new olympics.
Since the film focuses a lot on fence fighting, there's no doubt that these scenes look great. They are very intense, and it feels so alive, like your actually watching it on the stadium. However, it does have cons. Like, the romance subplot feels out of place between Kira and Constantine, and I dislike the rap song that sometimes plays during training scenes, it's just that I'm not a fan of modern russian songs.
I believe this movie is very motivating. Not a must watch, but still a good drama sports film with inspiring and relatable female protagonists. Not a must watch, but if your into a mood for something, that connects the two generations or for something relating to fencing, then this one is a good pick.
