Bryan Buckley’s dark comedy, The Bronze, which opens in Canada on March 18, is a rollercoaster of a ride, rife with emotions and replete with an engaging cast of characters.
At its center is Hope Ann Greggory (Melissa Rauch), an American gymnast who lives on her laurels and can’t adjust to her mundane life after the Olympic Games.
Greggory, from the town of Amherst, Ohio, won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics, but in vaulting to third place she sustained an injury that would ruin the rest of her career. Now, a decade on, she lives in her father’s basement, depends on his financial largesse, watches old clips about her athletic glory days and exploits her hometown fame to cadge free meals at local restaurants.
She’s had her day in the sun, but can’t adapt to the new normal, the humdrum existence she leads in smalltown America.
The film starts on a bouncy note when Hope is a child. Responding to her father’s instructions, she performs a few demanding gymnastic tricks to his satisfaction. She then exclaims, “I’m a champion.” These nostalgic scenes of Hope in tights and a blonde ponytail are presumably taken from the family’s home movies.
As an adult, Hope leaves much to be desired. She’s unemployed, has no interest in looking for a job and swears a lot. When her father, Stan (Gary Cole), complains about her idleness, she retorts, “Do you want me to suck dirty dicks?” By all appearances, she does not appreciate the sacrifices that Stan, a widower, has made on her behalf.
As she cruises around Amherst in her Buick, she habitually wears a red and blue USA warm-up suit, as if she needs to reaffirm her former greatness. It’s a pathetic display of vanity and conceit.
Much to Stan’s relief, Hope is left an inheritance of $500,000 by her former coach. In exchange, Hope must train up-and-coming local gymnast Maggie Townsend (Haley Lu Richardson), whom Hope loathes.
Perversely enough, Hope tries to sabotage Maggie’s chances of becoming a member of the U.S. gymnastic team. Hope changes her tactics after her former teammate, Lance Tucker (Sebastian Stan), attempts to lure Maggie away.
She and Maggie train in a gym owned by Ben Pavleck (Thomas Middleditch), newly graduated from university. Ben likes Hope, but she treats him with condescension, calling him Twitchy due to his facial tick. Only later does she warm to Ben.
At a championship event in Toronto, Maggie performs exceptionally well, validating Hope’s credentials as a coach. Over drinks, Lance seduces Hope. Their acrobatic sex is balletic — a riveting scene of stunning originality.
Buckley directs with a sure hand, skillfully shaping The Bronze into a must-see film brimming with drama and levity. The gymnastic sequences are compelling. Rauch, the co-scriptwriter, is terrific as Hope, inhabiting her skin effortlessly. Buckley’s supporting cast is fine, with Richardson and Stan standing out.