“Being there is everything.” The Olympic motto sounds like a relic from the past in today's climate where sport has become completely commercialized and a big part of the entertainment industry. This is why Dexter Fletcher’s EDDIE THE EAGLE also feels like a relic, which is also what makes it so rousing. Fletcher depicts the journey of modestly talented Brit Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton) who had a big dream: becoming an Olympic icon. Eddie is not the most attractive man and – what’s even worse for the British establishment – he is working-class and thereby has no shot. The film shows how he got the idea of becoming a ski jumper after attempting other fields, a sport that is quite rare in England. He goes to Garmisch Partenkirchen and meets used-up ex ski jumper Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman) who gives him a few vital tips after which he qualifies for the Olympic Games in Calgary. He becomes surprisingly popular even though he finishes in last place by a big margin. And this is what it’s about here: sport isn’t about winning or losing, it’s about the attempt to make the most of your opportunities. In one of the best scenes Eddie stands in an elevator with Matti Nykänen, the best ski jumper in the world back then, who sees Eddie as a kindred spirit. The beauty of the sport is the decisive factor for both of them, even though their amount of talent is worlds apart: Nykänen won the gold metal three times, Eddie finished in the last place twice but the Olympic spirit is stronger in him than in most athletes. The story is too good to be true, but it is very easy to get swept up in EDDIE THE EAGLE’s moral triumph.

Michael Meyns

Translation: Elinor Lewy