Swimming Pool (2003)

A British mystery author visits her publisher's home in the South of France, where her interaction with his unusual daughter sets off some touchy dynamics.

Director:

François Ozon

Writers:

François Ozon (screenplay), Emmanuèle Bernheim,

Stars:

Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier, Charles Dance

4 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlotte Rampling	...	Sarah Morton
Ludivine Sagnier	...	Julie
Charles Dance	...	John Bosload
Jean-Marie Lamour	...	Franck
Marc Fayolle	...	Marcel
Mireille Mossé	...	Marcel's Daughter
Michel Fau	...	First Man
Jean-Claude Lecas	...	Second Man
Emilie Gavois-Kahn	...	Waitress at Cafe (as Emilie Gavois Kahn)
Erarde Forestali	...	Old Man
Lauren Farrow	...	Julia
Sebastian Harcombe	...	Terry Long
Frances Cuka	...	Lady on the Underground
Keith Yeates	...	Sarah's Father
Tricia Aileen	...	John Bosload's Secretary

Storyline

Sarah Morton is a famous British mystery author. Tired of London and seeking inspiration for her new novel, she accepts an offer from her publisher John Bosload to stay at his home in Luberon, in the South of France. It is the off-season, and Sarah finds that the beautiful country locale and unhurried pace is just the tonic for her--until late one night, when John's indolent and insouciant French daughter Julie unexpectedly arrives. Sarah's prim and steely English reserve is jarred by Julie's reckless, sexually charged lifestyle. Their interactions set off an increasingly unsettling series of events, as Sarah's creative process and a possible real-life murder begin to blend dangerously together.

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Plot Keywords:

publisher | swimming | murder | swimming pool | mystery writer | 

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Taglines:

Dive into this summer's sexiest mystery

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Genres:

Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, language, some violence and drug use

Details

Country:

France UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

21 May 2003 (France)

Also Known As:

La piscina

Filming Locations:

France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$28,984 (South Africa) (21 May 2004)

Gross:

$50,726 (South Africa) (28 May 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fidélité Productions, France 2 Cinéma, Gimages

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Charlotte Rampling's character Sarah is named after her sister, who killed herself at age 23. She told The Guardian, "I thought that after such a very long time of not letting her be with me that I would like to bring her back into my life."

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Goofs

The London Tube in the beginning scenes of the movie shows the exterior of a 1996 stock Northern Line Train, but interior of a 1972 stock with a visible "Central Line" maps over the windows.

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Quotes

Sarah Morton: I pity your mother.
Julie: You pity her? Why?
Sarah Morton: Well, I imagine having a daughter who comes home with a different man every night must be difficult for a mother.
Julie: Well, you imagine wrong. You know what? You're just a frustrated Englishwoman who writes about dirty things but never does them. You can shove your uptight morals up your ass!

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Connections

References Images (1972)

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Soundtracks

"Nocturne in C Sharp Minor - op.19 no.4"
(1873)
(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) (as P.I. Tchaikovsky)
National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland
(Conductor: Gerhard Markson)
KAPAGAMA / NAXOS
(By agreement between HNH International and KAPAGAMA)
Distribution NAIVE

User Reviews

An Excellent Idea Wasted In a Very Disappointing Conclusion

In London, the successful and weird middle-age writer of police and mystery novels Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) is passing through a phase of lack of inspiration. Her publisher John Bosload (Charles Dance) invites her to spend some summertime days in his house in a small town in France, where there is inclusive a swimming pool. He also suggests her to make the experience of writing about a different theme. Sarah accepts the invitation and travels to the wonderful and lonely place. A few days later, she starts writing again, but her quiet rest is shaken with the unexpected arrival of Julie (Ludivine Sagnier), the sexy daughter of John. From that moment on, reality and dream blends in Sarah's world. I did not dislike this movie, but I believe it is indeed an excellent idea, wasted in a very disappointing conclusion. There are many unexplained subplots and the story is completely open to the most different interpretations, and of course I have mine. But without reading any information or clue from the writer and director François Ozon about his real intention, it is impossible to give a precise clarification. Europeans usually like this type of story, but in this situation, the film does not give necessary hints about the real intention of the plot, and the viewer can speculate only. Charlotte Rampling has a magnificent interpretation, Ludivine Sagnier has a very erotic performance, but to become an excellent film, many clarifications are missing. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): `Swimming Pool: À Beira da Piscina' (`Swimming Pool: On the Edge of the Swimming Pool')