A talented young gymnast from Kyiv, played by real-life former Ukrainian national team member Anastasiia Budiashkina, moves to Switzerland to pursue her Olympic dreams in Elie Grappe’s award-winning drama. Set in 2014, the film follows 15-year-old Olga as she tries to make friends on her new team and adjust to life in her new home. As she relentlessly trains in preparation for the European Championships, her friends and family back in the Ukraine are taking to the streets in what would become known as the Maidan Revolution. Olga is left a powerless, distant bystander as her mother, an investigative journalist, faces danger and violence in her work challenging the brutal Yanukovich regime. The historic events depicted in the film are intricately linked with the subsequent Russian invasion, providing rich insight into the current situation in the Ukraine, yet Grappe’s camera never strays from the point of view of a remarkable young woman struggling to find her way in the world. Can Olga reconcile her personal goals as a gymnast with the living history unfolding in her homeland? This tense yet delicate portrait of exile, ambition, and identity won the SACD Prize at Cannes Critics Week and features a star-making turn from its fearless lead.
For thoughts on Olga, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/o54I9R54yQg?t=392]
Video Quality
Olga comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that is really lovely. While the film has a slightly cooler push when it comes to the color palette, there are some very bold hues which make an impression within the frame. There is nothing artificially boosted here, but director Elie Grappe frames the natural world in a way that gives it a real vitality. White levels are handled well with no instances of blooming, and the blacks retain their depth and do not suffer from crush or compression artifacts. This takes place largely in interiors such as the training facility, but you have some dazzling shots of landscapes which equally provide an incredible amount of detail. The transfer provides texture within the clothing and production design which makes the world feel more lived-in. Skin tones are detailed and natural all around. Kino Lorber has really delivered here.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in the original array of languages that brings this story to life perfectly. The narrative of the film does not require the most complex sound design, but it remains precise with sounds positioned just right in the mix. You do not have any traditional action-driven scenes, but activity in the low end adds some textures such as explosions during news reports or even the gymnasts storming down to perform a vault maneuver. Dialogue comes through clearly without ever being suppressed by competing sounds. Environmental effects add a lot of personality to this largely internalized narrative. The film uses music in effective ways which fills the room appropriately. The sound works well for this narrative. There are optional English subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Theatrical Trailer: The minute-and-a-half trailer for Olga is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Olga is a very timely story which packs a punch even when setting aside its connection to any real-world event. Director Elie Grappe is very effective at capturing the struggle and anxieties of this young athlete who is torn between achieving a life goal and existing as a bystander while everything she has ever known is being decimated. The relative sparseness of the plot is a benefit as it allows for a gradual yet considered escalation for our titular character which the young actress handles beautifully. This is a terrific character-driven drama from a filmmaker that should be firmly on your radar moving forward. Kino Lorber has provided a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation but virtually nothing in the way of special features. Recommended
Olga is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Lorber has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
