This short documentary focuses on the group of the title, a group of older women living in California who come together for amateur sessions of synchronized swimming as part of their fitness regime. This is the starting point but early on we specifically look at Margo, who at 75 is suffering with MS. As her life became about just existing and perhaps thinking about ending that state to escape the suffering, she started to use medical marijuana to provide relief and allow her to have some control.
This is an engaging little documentary. At first it very much appears that it will be a quirkumentary looking at these old dears and their funny ways and indeed everything about the presentation does seem to celebrate their odd colorful habits in the warm sun. However as we get to Margo in particular, while the film does keep a regular view on swimming old ladies, it becomes more about the process of aging and in particular keep control and keeping quality. While we may joke about wanting to retire and go to an old folk's home to be looked after and rest, the truth is that actually most of us want quality of life and independence. This film explores that using the example of Margo to show one example off the back of the more colourful example of the swimming (control of the body, life being more than just being alive) and the combination works very well.
Some may see it as a film in favour of the use of drugs to treat MS but I did not, and if there is an agenda here then it is done with a light touch. Instead I found it engaging and thoughtful to consider the elderly people in the film, to think about the right to not just live but to also be alive and living, and how important it is to do that and not just turn grey in a corner. It is cheering and thoughtful in that regard.
This is an engaging little documentary. At first it very much appears that it will be a quirkumentary looking at these old dears and their funny ways and indeed everything about the presentation does seem to celebrate their odd colorful habits in the warm sun. However as we get to Margo in particular, while the film does keep a regular view on swimming old ladies, it becomes more about the process of aging and in particular keep control and keeping quality. While we may joke about wanting to retire and go to an old folk's home to be looked after and rest, the truth is that actually most of us want quality of life and independence. This film explores that using the example of Margo to show one example off the back of the more colourful example of the swimming (control of the body, life being more than just being alive) and the combination works very well.
Some may see it as a film in favour of the use of drugs to treat MS but I did not, and if there is an agenda here then it is done with a light touch. Instead I found it engaging and thoughtful to consider the elderly people in the film, to think about the right to not just live but to also be alive and living, and how important it is to do that and not just turn grey in a corner. It is cheering and thoughtful in that regard.
