Maiden

"While Maiden is satisfying on its own, it's tailor-made for a remake that can dive deeper into a story that has so much life left in it."

"The film has a lively pace with nary a pause for a more relaxed reflection on the subject at hand... That said, with that breakneck pacing, some biographical clarity... is lost."

"A real crowd-pleaser with a strong finish."

"Holmes ultimately takes a frustratingly simplistic approach to his thematically rich material."

"Director Alex Holmes and editor Katie Bryer cannily draw out the story beneath the story, allowing it to bob along in the wake of Edwards' tale."

"Excels as a suspenseful sports tale and a record of a historic first, but its biggest strength is in its warts-and-all character study of the Maiden crew."

"A documentary with all the nervous-making energy of a first-rate drama; a cast of sailors who are both endearing and intelligent; and a delicately wrought suspense story."

"This isn’t a revolutionary film or an elevation of the documentary form, but it is an empowering message of perseverance for women and their allies in the fight against male hegemony."

"This dazzling doc from director Alex Holmes proves these female pioneers are still a cause for celebration."

"Even at its most visceral and exciting, it's the emotion at the story's core, and the higher principles at work, that make it transcendent."

"A flat-out good yarn."

"Absorbingly recounts the story of Edwards and her team in an unfussy linear style..."

"An inspiring portrait of a ship's crew that had much to prove..."

"Maiden is simply riveting, a story of grandeur and sweep that's also moving and intimate because there are so many naked emotions in play."

"You'll cringe at some of the condescending comments made by the yachting writers of the time, you'll laugh at some of the Maiden crew's antics (including wearing bikinis into Fort Lauderdale to distract the press from their poor performance on that leg) and cheer as they show "the boys" up, especially in the daunting Southern Ocean."

"What makes the story so compelling is not only how these women defied the odds to get a boat in the water, but how competitive in the race they were. What started as a feminist (Edwards hates this word) cry for women to sail in the Whitbread, turned into a serious competition. They wanted to win, but it wasn't until they crossed the line they realised what their participation meant to the world, and watching this moment still brings a tear to the eye."

"[Its] political narrative arc is what distinguishes "Maiden," which draws you in even when the predigital images prove less than lovely."

"Tautly edited and unfussily directed, it's a knuckle-whitening tale of courage and grit."

"Instructive, insightful and inspiring, Maiden is a rousingly riveting record of a remarkable accomplishment that says as much about British bloody-mindedness as it does about feminist fortitude and underdog pluck."

"At all events, it pays due homage to Edwards as a courageous pioneer."

"Holmes' documentary has more than enough human interest to grip viewers with no prior interest in sailing."

"A rousing, real-life, feminist adventure tale."