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 Swimming Pool (2003)Rated: R for strong sexual content, nudity, language, some violence and drug use. Runtime: 103 mins. Director: François Ozon Writer: François Ozon (screenplay); Emmanuèle Bernheim Cast: Charlotte Rampling; Ludivine Sagnier; Charles Dance ....complete cast Genre: Mystery Tagline: Dive into this summer's sexiest mystery Memorable Quote: "Awards are like hemorrhoids. Sooner or later every asshole gets one."
Is the plot to Swimming Pool driving you crazy? Here is a detailed description of the story line to help you figure it out. But beware, it contains spoilers!
Charlotte Rampling is the frumpy, British whodunit author Sarah Morton. She has a growing disdain for the identity that is slowly building around her. It seems her recurring fictional Sherlock Holmes-like character is beginning to pigeonhole her as a formulaic, one-dimensional mystery writer. Her publisher (Charles Dance) offers the use of his isolated villa in the South of France in hopes of providing the creative spark she needs to reinvigorate her career. She loves the peace and solitude. Whether it be placid meals in the dappled shade of the local café or brisk moped rides through the French countryside, Sarah finds the atmosphere as fuel for her creative soul. That is, until her publisher's sexy daughter, Julie (Ludivine Sagnier) shows up with her own plans of using the house as a home base for drinking, smoking pot, and sexing it up with nearly every available man in the village. Ozon's juxtaposition of the stiff, Jane Hathaway-like Sarah plays nicely against the sexpot imagery of the delicious Julie. He almost immediately pits them against each other, setting us up for the forthcoming transgression. As Sarah's novel progresses, so does her interest and intrigue in Julie, and so does her own image. At first Sarah demands peace and quiet and chastises Julie for her choice of men. But her scorn slowly transforms into a motherly concern. She now finds herself gazing lovingly at Julie as she lounges poolside. She's now intrigued with watching Julie have sex with different men throughout the house. Sarah is slowly softening her look, becoming more sexy and feminine. It's now getting more and more difficult to know which portions of the plot are transpiring in real life and which are coming from her novel. Rampling is magnificent. By the end of the movie, her natural beauty somehow seems to outshine that of the shapely Sagnier. Or, at least we become more interested in how we are now able to notice her previously unrecognized sex appeal. Her role is slight of dialogue but her wide range of expressions and mannerisms somehow find a way to mesmerize. Ozon's use of shocking color contrasts and unsettling visuals bathes the film with an exquisite symbolism. His color palette - from the juxtaposition of the bright red of an air mattress to the sparkling aquamarine of the swimming pool itself - combined with his clever use of red herrings and symbolic allusions, makes it obvious that he revels in his ability to manipulate an audience. He spends the entire film reeling you into his snare of human psyche, only to yank the rug out from under you with a shocking twist. Swimming Pool will probably leave you a bit confused, but I promise it'll stimulate days of discussion. These days, how many films do that? Frank Wilkins Is the plot to Swimming Pool driving you crazy? Here is a very detailed description of the story line to help you figure it out. But beware, it contains spoilers!
Don't agree with this review, or have a question about this movie? Read or post comments about this film or review on the Screen formats: Widescreen Anamorphic 1.85:1 Subtitles: French, Spanish; Closed Captioned. Language and Sound: English: DTS 5.1 Surround; English: Dolby Digital 5.1; French: Dolby Digital 5.1Extra Features: Color; interactive menus; scene access; trailer; deleted scenes; outtakes; poster and picture gallery.
Number of discs: 1
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