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, Charles Dance, Ludivine Sagnier

2 wins & 18 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:

bilingual | nude swimming | cheating girlfriend | bare butt | wrapped in towel | 

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Taglines:

Dive into this summer's sexiest mystery

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

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

When Sarah is shown typing at her laptop, she is clearly pressing the keys at random and sometimes several at once.

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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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Alternate Versions

The U.S. release is available in two forms: the unrated version and the "R" rated version. The unrated version contains full frontal nudity which was edited out of the "R" rated version to avoid an "NC-17" rating.

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Connections

Remake of The Swimming Pool (1969)

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Soundtracks

Spirit of Dallas
(Anders Bagge)
Ref. Disque MAT 169
With grateful permission from KOKA MEDIA

User Reviews

A Mostly Effective Erotic Thriller

Makers of erotic thrillers need to be careful, as that is a genre that, if not handled carefully, can quickly fall prey to silliness and excess (think "Fatal Attraction"). "Swimming Pool" is a thriller in the style of "The Deep End," and more than once I was struck by similarities between the two in their respective tones and reliance on water as a recurring visual motif. Also, both films have a middle-aged female as the protagonist who becomes involved in covering up for the actions of a child (in "The Deep End" a literal child, in "Swimming Pool" a figurative one). Also, both films are completely unpredictable. Neither goes the direction in which the viewer thinks it's going to. However, "Swimming Pool" is much more abstract, and its ending leaves you wanting to watch the whole thing over immediately with an entirely different perspective on the action. This gimmick always makes for a memorable ending in movies that employ it, but too often it makes the rest of the movie seem somewhat pale in comparison, and this is the case here. "Swimming Pool" plays tricks with your perceptions, but the finale to which the film builds seems somewhat anti-climactic when it finally comes.

It's a leisurely paced film, and you'll need to have patience with it. You'll also need to have patience with the main character, played by Charlotte Rampling. Rampling gives a fine performance, but her character is really unlikable (intentionally so), and it's always a liability for any story that focuses almost solely on one person to make that person unlikable, or at least sympathetic.

"Swimming Pool," though billed as an erotic thriller, is really about the creative process (I think), and I won't say anymore about that because to do so will give away the ending. It's an interesting idea, imperfectly executed.

Grade: B

Details

Country:

France UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

1 August 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Swimming Pool

Filming Locations:

France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$287,296, 6 July 2003

Gross USA:

$10,130,108

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$22,441,497

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