CrimeThriller

Swimming Pool

- On the surface, all is calm.

A British crime novelist travels to her publisher's upmarket summer house in Southern France to seek solitude in order to work on her next book. However, the unexpected arrival of the publisher's daughter induces complications and a subsequent crime.

Release Date : 2003-05-21

Language :EnglishFrench

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : France 2 CinémaCanal+Fidélité ProductionsGimagesFOZHeadforce Ltd.Focus FeaturesCelluloid Dreams

Production Country : FranceUnited Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Sarah Morton

Original Name : Charlotte Rampling

Gender : Female

Character Name : Julie

Original Name : Ludivine Sagnier

Gender : Female

Character Name : John Bosload

Original Name : Charles Dance

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marcel

Original Name : Marc Fayolle

Gender : Male

Character Name : Franck

Original Name : Jean-Marie Lamour

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marcel's Daughter

Original Name : Mireille Mossé

Gender : Male

Character Name : First Man

Original Name : Michel Fau

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Man

Original Name : Jean-Claude Lecas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Waitress at Cafe

Original Name : Émilie Gavois-Kahn

Gender : Female

Character Name : Old Man

Original Name : Erarde Forestali

Gender : Male

Character Name : Julia

Original Name : Lauren Farrow

Gender : Male

Character Name : Terry Long

Original Name : Sebastian Harcombe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lady on the Underground

Original Name : Frances Cuka

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sarah's Father

Original Name : Keith Yeates

Gender : Male

Character Name : John Bosload's Secretary

Original Name : Tricia Aileen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pub Barman

Original Name : Glen Davies

Gender : Male

Reviews

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-12-13

_**Engaging psychological drama with Ludivine Sagnier and Charlotte Rampling**_ "Swimming Pool" (2003) is a drama/psychological thriller about a popular English novelist named, Sarah (Charlotte Rampling), who vacations at her publisher's villa in France to find inspiration for her next book. Unfortunately, the publisher's oversexed daughter, Julie (Ludivine Sagnier), visits and disrupts her activities. If you remember 70s' films like "Orca" and "Zardoz" you'll know that Rampling was stunning in her physical prime in a looks-that-kill way. In "Swimming Pool" she's still in decent shape for a woman verging on 60, but her character's a joyless biyatch desperately seeking inspiration. Julie, by contrast, is young, friendly and overflowing with sexuality, but – like Sarah – she's not a pushover in the least. Sagnier shines as the wild child French hottie. There's just something about the female French accent that's a turn-on. Despite her sexiness, it's clear in some scenes that Julie's actually sort of plain in a girl-next-door kind of way. It's what she does with what she's got that makes her stunning. Like 2005's "Match Point," "Swimming Pool" is the antithesis of the modern 'blockbuster' and all its moronic trappings -- there's no quick editing, no CGI, no goofy one-liners, no explosions and no promise of $400 million at the box office. No, "Swimming Pool" is movie-making based simply on excellent writing and cinematic storytelling. The end is a revelation to the viewer even if you were expecting it, particularly because, if you research it, it's way more than even that, believe it or not. It's amazing how good writing & storytelling can create a 'Wow' reaction more so than the most elaborate overkill action sequence with all its requisite CGI and explosions. The film runs 102 minutes and was shot in Luberon, Vaucluse, France, and London. GRADE: A- ***SPOILER ALERT*** (Don't read further if you haven't seen the film) The obvious interpretation is that Julie isn't real, but rather a character created by Sarah for her next book whereas Julia is the publisher's real daughter, revealed at the end. People who draw this conclusion, like me on my first two viewings, are on the right track, but this interpretation is only accurate to a point. For details see the thread on the MovieChat message board "The Definitive Answer / Color-Key to Swimming Pool."