Maiden (2018) Tribeca 2019

This is a repost of the review that we ran when the film played the Camden International Film Festival last September and Sundance this past January. 

MAIDEN was one of my favorite films of 2018.

This is the story of Tracy Edwards and the crew of women she put together to compete in the Whitbread Around The World Race. While women had been part of crews, Edwards herself had been one, they were always reduced to being cooks and not sailors. Edwards wanted an al women crew so there was no doubt that they could do it without men.

An amazing story that begins when Edwards happens to meet King Hussein of Jordan on a boat where she was working. When he asked what she would rather be doing she told him about the race. He then convinced her that it was something that she had to do. It was a struggle but Edwards fielded a crew and made the race…and it’s one hell of a tale.

The is the story of a grand adventure told in grand style. As much as I and my fellow critics may bitch about how a documentary is put together, more often than nor not we’ll complain if the film doesn’t do something new or exciting with a story, sometimes if you have a great story and great people telling it then you can just let the story tell itself. In the case of Maiden, director Ale Holmes has a group of characters who are master storytellers and he simply lets them talk. They spin one hell of a tale just by telling what happened. What takes the film to the stratosphere is the fact that the stories are supplemented with footage of the events. It’s amazing and it makes this a must see on the big screen because the shots of the ocean will make you wonder what sort of crazy person would do that.

I don’ know what else to say. I was held on the edge of my seat from start to finish. And when the finish came I was just as misty as the people on screen telling the story simply because I felt like I went too and shared the trip.

Highly highly recommended. It is not only one of my favorite films but easily one of the very best films of  2018 and a must see.(Tribeca Addendums- and having seen it on one of the biggest screens at the festival a second time you really do want to see this on a big screen. Additionally look for my interview with Tracy Edwards, which is coming soon)

MAIDEN plays at Tribeca May 1st,2nd and 4th. For more information and tickets go here,