Cast- Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier, Charles Dance Directed by Francois Ozon Genre – Psychological Drama My Parental Guidance Rating – X Rated
Swimming Pool was short listed for the prestigious Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival for the year 2003.Rated 83% fresh by the critics freshometer at rottentomtoes.com,dreaded for its tearing apart of movies,I started watching this film with a great amount of anticipation.This was one of those films built up to be a near masterpiece on an artist’s creative process being portrayed on screen.
After sitting through its run time of 1 hour and 43 minutes I was left wondering had I seen anything other than a well disguised porn film?Terrible movie – I have no other words for it.I mean 1st there is this frustrated mystery novelist(Charlotte Rampling)who goes on a holiday to France to get ideas for her next book.She makes herself cozy in a villa with you guessed it,a swimming pool.This sensual beauty (Ludivine Sagnier) lands up from nowhere and the skin show begins .The cameraman indulges on the anatomy of Sagnier who is seen topless every other scene and there are these different men who land up every night and some very erotic (the arthouse types will say‚’’realistic’’),scenes unfold.
Somewhere in between all this a murder takes place(or does it?)and the two leading ladies are out to find the truth and the movie concludes with an ending which is supposed to facinate you like the conclusion to The 6th Sense.And Oh! There are some scenes which are supposed to showcase Fraudian repression which seem only an excuse for further skinshow.Admitedly Charlotte Rampling as the on the surface conservative novelist comes up with an underplayed and briliant performance.The symbols such as a crucifix being removed and coming back on or the reflection on a mirror, of the writer,work partially. But I don’t see in what way they represent the blurring of the lines between reality and fiction.
If you are the kind who finds those pathetic cubic images of Picasso fascinating Swimming Pool may interest you.If you want to be seen as having an interest in art house cinema again you might want to watch it,as the film is a critics darling,going by the reviews I have read. I saw Kalvanin Kadhali starring that unpretentious,badshah of dirty jokes,S.J.Suryah a few days back. I would any day watch his films than a too scared to admit it is a bit padam,which is what Swimming Pool is.
My Rating of the film - * out of * * * * *
Verdict – Terrible
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Swimming Pool
Cast- Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier, Charles Dance Directed by Francois Ozon Genre – Psychological Drama My Parental Guidance Rating – X Rated
Swimming Pool was short listed for the prestigious Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival for the year 2003.Rated 83% fresh by the critics freshometer at rottentomtoes.com,dreaded for its tearing apart of movies,I started watching this film with a great amount of anticipation.This was one of those films built up to be a near masterpiece on an artist’s creative process being portrayed on screen.
After sitting through its run time of 1 hour and 43 minutes I was left wondering had I seen anything other than a well disguised porn film?Terrible movie – I have no other words for it.I mean 1st there is this frustrated mystery novelist(Charlotte Rampling)who goes on a holiday to France to get ideas for her next book.She makes herself cozy in a villa with you guessed it,a swimming pool.This sensual beauty (Ludivine Sagnier) lands up from nowhere and the skin show begins .The cameraman indulges on the anatomy of Sagnier who is seen topless every other scene and there are these different men who land up every night and some very erotic (the arthouse types will say‚’’realistic’’),scenes unfold.
Somewhere in between all this a murder takes place(or does it?)and the two leading ladies are out to find the truth and the movie concludes with an ending which is supposed to facinate you like the conclusion to The 6th Sense.And Oh! There are some scenes which are supposed to showcase Fraudian repression which seem only an excuse for further skinshow.Admitedly Charlotte Rampling as the on the surface conservative novelist comes up with an underplayed and briliant performance.The symbols such as a crucifix being removed and coming back on or the reflection on a mirror, of the writer,work partially. But I don’t see in what way they represent the blurring of the lines between reality and fiction.
If you are the kind who finds those pathetic cubic images of Picasso fascinating Swimming Pool may interest you.If you want to be seen as having an interest in art house cinema again you might want to watch it,as the film is a critics darling,going by the reviews I have read. I saw Kalvanin Kadhali starring that unpretentious,badshah of dirty jokes,S.J.Suryah a few days back. I would any day watch his films than a too scared to admit it is a bit padam,which is what Swimming Pool is.
My Rating of the film - * out of * * * * *
Verdict – Terrible
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4 comments:
So what, you're only writing movie reviews these days eh ?
I watched this film maybe 1 year ago. I remember that I was a bit disappointed because when I expected the crime story to start, the film suddenly ended ..
after i see the Swimming Pool Ad in Paper, i thought it is a beautiful romance movie.
most of the time with a horny women then its becomes a skin show. its all what the director wants to show. But for this same reason basic instinct was a hit but had the best of direction done. So i am sure when the expectation is not met but only turns to be an adult movie for sure no one enjoys. But i never knew anything abt this movie before so Great Escape (in goundamani style).
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