Review: The Aerialist

Dreya Weber in The Aerialist

The Aerialist is a follow up to 2006’s The Gymnast. Both feature Dreya Weber as an athletic aerial performer.

Dreya Weber does her own aerial work in The Aerialist. I saw The Gymnast years ago, and almost my only memory of it is how fantastic Weber was in the air. I have the faint memory that there was a same sex romance. In the new film, Jane (Weber) is alone. There’s a different kind of relationship in this film.

The plot in this indie film is that Jane is now 57. She’s injured. But she’s still performing.

Thunderbird Dinwiddie, Nadine Ellis, Viet Dang, Dreya Weber, Shannon Beach, and Grasan Kingsberry in The Aerialist
Pictured are Thunderbird Dinwiddie, Nadine Ellis, Viet Dang, Dreya Weber, Shannon Beach, and Grasan Kingsberry.

She’s rehearsing a show with her familiar troop of performers. They will be backup for a rock singer who is also aging. Because they are rehearsing in different spaces, we don’t see the famous singer until near the end.

A new director, Xavier (Kelly Marcus), steps in. He clashes with Jane and the others. Many quit. If the show can be saved it will be experienced leaders like Jane who salvage it.

Morgan Bradley in The Aerialist

A young journalist, Runa (Morgan Bradley), arrives with a request to do an interview with Jane. She has a hidden agenda that I won’t reveal, but it’s pretty transparent from the beginning.

It takes a while for all the conflicts over the show to work themselves out, and for Runa to reveal what she’s really looking for from Jane.

It’s a simple story, simply told, and with a satisfying ending. Once again, the thing I’ll probably remember about this film is the sight of Dreya Weber working in the air. She’s inspiring to watch.

I’ve never done anything amazing or athletically driven as my body aged and changed, but I certainly understand what the characters are going through in this film. It’s an interesting look at what you can keep and what you must let go.

The Aerialist poster

Check out the trailer. You can see this film on Prime Video.

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