The Swimmers Review - The Issa Sisters Shine Bright
Manal Issa made her acting debut in Danielle Arbid's Parisienne, and if the world were fair, she would already be a genuine celebrity. Despite her cheerful outer look, she exudes effortless charisma and is skilled at catching the short moments of Sara's grief and misery. Nathalie Issa, Manal's real-life sister, is the movie's leading lady rather than her. Nathalie is adorable, and she exudes a gentle assurance that enables her to provide a subdued leading performance. Yusra is confident that she can achieve her goals, and Nathalie Issa's composed and assured performance beautifully captures this upbeat outlook.
This story contains every element a reader could want from a feel-good true-life story. Although there is a happy ending in a sense, the road does have its share of heartbreaking moments. However, there are certain issues that surdata-face in the third act as Yusra's hatred of being classified as a refugee clashes with her resolve to represent syria in the Olympics. It is not adequately explored how the sisters are feeling about their tragedy. It seems a little hurried how Yusra ever makes it to the Olympics, and Sara's experiences are barely explored at this pivotal period in both of their lives. sara makes a seemingly arbitrary choice in her life, but with a little reorganisation and timing tweaks, her story may have worked well with Yusra's.
Having said that, The Swimmers is a success in many ways. It is exquisite, tragic, and, most importantly, extraordinarily affecting. The Issa sisters gave outstanding leading performances, and the Mardini sisters' tale will have a lasting impact on a lot of people. As there is so much these young women will accomplish, one critic urges viewers to continue following the sisters' path after the credits have rolled.