Swimming Pool

When you see the cover of “Swimming Pool”, you expect to see a lame thriller, probably involving a love triangle, a crazy stalker girl and something along the lines of a bad teen cautionary tale about getting involved with someone you don’t know well enough. But that's “Swimfan” you're thinking about. You shouldn’t confuse that limp excuse for a picture with this engrossing thriller.

Crime novelist Sarah (Charlotte Rampling) is struggling with her latest book. She takes up a vacation at her publisher’s summer home and is immediately feeling refreshed. The ideas come to her quickly and she is making some real progress until Julie (Ludivine Sagnier), the boss’ daughter comes along. The young, rebellious and promiscuous girl clashes with the seasoned writer and neither of them are particularly happy that they have to share the same house. Things take a strange turn when Sarah starts writing a new novel entirely, one based on the girl who is now living with her.

I will try to explain why the film works as best I can without spoiling anything for you. This is a story that isn't afraid to go all the way with its characters."Swimming Pool" lasts about two hours and the more thriller aspect only really kicks in about half way. We get plenty of time to get to know Sarah and a significant amount of time is spent with her and Julie sizing each other up. They get back at each other in subtle ways, but somehow gain some appreciation for each other and kind of become friends. You get the feeling that the two women aren’t really that much different from each other, they just happen to be displaced in time and at a different point in their lives. Both characters get plenty of time to show their faults so you’re never quite sure who, if anyone is going to snap. The intrigue builds as you try to figure out where it's going next.

This film is also quite bold in its portrayal of sexuality and relationships. That’s where the hint of envy and jealousy comes in. Is Julie really bringing men over because she wants their company, or is she doing it just to annoy her roommate? Is Sarah looking down at the girl in the morning because she had another one-night stand, or is she secretly jealous? There is so much nudity that the eroticism turns around to become threatening. Looking at that barely-legal body, it made me uncomfortable, the flagrant recklessness of it all made me irritated, but it also turned me on in a twisted (and intentional I'm sure) way.

It's like one of those magic eye tricks. You keep staring at it, trying to figure out when it'll all come together. When it does, oh boy does it show off its intelligence. When the big conflict happens in the second half of the movie, you expect there to be big dramatic revelations, a big conflict between the two women and (heaven forbid) a battle in the titular swimming pool as the two fight to survive but no, that’s not it at all. The actual events are much more intriguing and chilling than you standard plot conclusion. Helping the film capture your interest in a story that for a while isn’t really moving in any clear direction are some pretty solid performances from the two leads and some very nice, subtle touches here and there.

Anyone who's seen "Swimming Pool" will have to pause and reflect in order to come to grasp with its ending. I was dumbfounded at first, but after thinking about it for a bit and discussing it with someone else, I think I have it figured out. Seeing it a second time, many of the events in the film will have a totally different meaning. It’s one of those thrillers that demands to be re-watched so you can pick up clues to prove your theories.

The ending might be a bit too ambiguous, but "Swimming Pool" makes up for it by delivering thrills and disturbing eroticism. I have to underline once again that there is a lot of nudity here. You probably don’t want to watch this one with your parents, or with a big crowd of friends because some of the more sensual moments will get pretty awkward. That’s assuming of course that those moments of sexuality are genuine and not just an act... you’ll have to decide for yourself once the movie is over. Just writing about it makes my brain swim. Some people will be left dumbfounded and frustrated by that final shot but I say it is worth seeing and if you find yourself frustrated, lend it to a friend so they can watch it and the two of you can talk and discuss it. Any thriller that warrants a second watch and will stay fresh even when you know where it all ends up is more than worth your time. (NC-17 Version on DVD, January 7, 2014)