She Looks Like Me (2024)

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  ScreenZealots

  4 / 10

  The unpleasantly crowded documentary “She Looks Like Me,” from director Torquil Jones, is weighed down by too much story. It’s almost like two movies in one, and it would’ve worked so much better if Jones had elected to reveal his narrative in two separate projects. The film features a genuinely incredible true account of interesting subjects with a connection that’s unbelievable, but Jones doesn’t quite pull off the art of tying it all together.
  
  The film tells the story of motivational speaker and accomplished aerialist Jen Bricker, a woman who was adopted as an infant after she was abandoned at the hospital. Born without legs, Jen was always told by her new family that she could do anything. This led to a love for dance and athletics that was encouraged, and Jen began idolizing the superstar gymnast Dominique Moceanu, who won the gold medal for the U.S.A. at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
  
  By focusing on the individual (and very different) childhoods of both Jen and Dominique, Jones paints a thorough portrait of these two women. From the struggles Jen faced and overcame with her spirit to be “normal,” to Dominique’s bravery in speaking out against sexual abuse in the gymnastics world, these are two extremely strong women. The dual stories seem routine but grow more compelling as Jones begins to reveal a shocking secret that connects the two subjects, but it’s not much of a surprise once the truth is uncovered. Basically, you think you know where the film is going, and it does eventually get there.
  
  “She Looks Like Me” is an inspiring documentary about two women facing a painful past, but it’s also a case of information overload that’s overwhelming and exhausting.
  
  By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS

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