Review of The Will to Fly (2016) by Matthew Z — 30 Mar 2016

Let's get straight to the point. This is a film you have to see in the cinema. It's a film that is as grand as its subject.

There are two main reasons for seeing this:

1) Lydia Lassila is actually going to become your hero.

2) This is a FILM. And by film I mean everything that is pretty and important about sitting in a cinema chair. What you spend the extra dollars for.

Lydia's story is far from what you expect and the immense amount of art and finesse her sport requires made me melt in the chair. Her rise through the ranks, her injuries and her family in the film, work together to tell the story of not only a god in a sport but an incredibly beautiful human being. I want her to actually be my friend.

Her story isn't the only thing though. The filmmakers have done so much more than a profile film is supposed to be. It's that underdog Aussie story with so much history and coverage that after you walk out you feel like you are an expert in aerial skiing. It's not just the narrative though. Seeing this on the big screen is so overwhelming. The sky and the snow fill your view, the music crashes down as you see each Olympian fly and flip into an unknown. My partner complained about me grabbing her hand too many times. The cliché being true here, I actually bit my nails.

It's that excitement 'Searching for Sugarman' has, that reminder that documentaries are more than just learning but actually stories that have a stronger narrative than anything out there at the moment.

See this. Do it.