Sweat Review
"What's the point of having a blog if you don't have the ability to be able to share your experience?" a fan asks fitness influencer Sylwia (Magdalena Kolesnik) in Sweat Magnus von Horn's shrewd study of the human condition and loneliness in the age of technology. We, along with her 60,000-strong fan base, begin watching the wellness trainer's high-energy workout routines and inspirational motivational speeches. But the story quickly changes as the stream is cut off, Sylwia is all alone and all is quiet. The people who follow her aren't able to be seen, but she's still seeking friendship. The internet isn't her enemy Her solitude is.
"Sharing" is given an ambiguous meaning in the film. Social media allows you to share every thought and experience to those who decide to follow you, but it's not an effective substitute for the connection with a person you know or lover in real life, an experience that you share with other people. Sylwia is stuck in this dilemma She can and does post a few aspects from her personal life online with loyal fans on the internet, but who will she be able to share her life with during private, intimate moments after all the other people have been able to stop watching?
The tale rises above stereotypes to provide a powerful and often poignant commentary on the difference between love and validation.
Sweat could easily been a smear on the internet or those who rely on it to live The film is much more sophisticated and sensitive than that, and gives Sylwia an additional dimension to her public image. The film transcends stereotypes to deliver a powerful and frequently touching commentary on the gap between love and validation, as well as the ways that intimacy and isolation have always been a good match.
It's backed by an enthralling performance by Kolesnik who strikes a delicate balance between the exuberant façade Sylwia displays in her work as well as the more reserved vulnerability of an individual who, far from the web, would like to meet someone who is able to be loved by her. The film plays with dramatic shifts in the tone, from giddy events to gruelling acts of physical violence, but without minimizing the intensity of any emotions. It's a risky tightrope to walk, which could result in an unintentional or insipid look at the daily life of a lonely woman , who could be perceived to be desperate.
However, following the path of a fresh wave of captivating, web-savvy stories about the internet's natives, such as Eighth Grade and Spree, Sweat is a fitting tribute to the lonely souls trying to find their wayboth on the screen and off.
