Swimming Pool (2003)

In terms of alluring female nudity, Swimming Pool shows a lot, but it's what remains concealed that gives this erotic thriller a potent, voyeuristic charge. With his Hitchcockian handling of secrets and lies, prolific French director François Ozon reunites with his Under the Sand star, Charlotte Rampling, to tell a seductive tale of murder and complicity, beginning when British mystery novelist Sarah Morton (Rampling) seeks peace and relaxation at her publisher's French villa, only to find his brash, sexually liberated daughter Julie (Ludivine Sagnier) arriving shortly thereafter to disrupt her solitary reverie. What begins as mutual annoyance turns into something more sinister and duplicitous, alternating between Julie's predatory sex with men and Sarah's observant, perhaps jealous fascination. These two women, generations apart, share in Ozon's delicate dance of trust, curiosity, and gradual understanding, until a twist ending that forces you to reevaluate everything you've seen. Only then will the mysteries of Swimming Pool be fully and tantalizingly revealed. (Note: The unrated version contains full-frontal nudity that's been edited from the rated version. In both versions, the overall plot is not affected.) --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

A 'Swimming Pool' With a Psychological Deep End.

François Ozon's 2003 erotic psychological- thriller, Swimming Pool, stars Charlotte Rampling and Ludivine Sagnier. It tells the story of a best-selling British mystery writer, Sarah Morton (Rampling) who, suffering from writer's block, decides to take a break from London by vacationing at her publisher, John Bosload's (Charles Dance), country house near Lacoste, France. Soon after her arrival, she is distracted from her rigid writing routine by a free-spirited young woman claiming to be the publisher's daughter, Julie (Sagnier). Julie's promiscuous nightlife involves noisy one-night stands with various men. This sparks a competition between the two women involving a local waiter, Franck (Jean-Marie Lamour). After Franck disappears, Julie has a breakdown, and the relationship between the two women quickly changes. When Sarah returns to England with her new novel, she is haunted by flashbacks of Julia, which leave the viewer haunted as well with questions of what was real and imaginary in the film. (The DVD relese includes several deleted scenes which only add to the ambiguity of the film.) Charlotte Rampling and Ludivine Sagnier bring outstanding performances to the compelling film. Recommended.

G. Merritt November 18, 2008

No point in this movie at all

Ok, so I thought that I would give this a try because everyone said that it is a great movie, well, I sure didnt think so. So it took like 30 min. until the movie started to take off and actually start to seem like it could be a good movie but when it ended I was so upset that I sat through the whole thing. This movie made no sense and it ended just like that, not explaining anything. I feel as though this movie was rushed and there was really no point in making this movie at all. I am so upset about this movie and I feel stupid for watching it. All it seemed to be about was sex and a writer and that is it. Really really bad movie. June 1, 2008

Lady and the tiger

I bought this movie because all the reviews indidcated it was a suspense/thriller with a twist. It has a twist all right. Throughout the movie you see these two women interacting, often in ways that make you wonder about their motives. What happened in their past to make them this way? Why are they responding to each other the way they do? Where will this take them and what will be the outcome? All the makings of a great suspense movie. Except none of the questions are every answered. I feel like I read the Lady and the Tiger except at the end I chose the door and it said "write your own ending." Very unsatisfying. I gave it a 2 only because it did keep you engaged until the ending. March 4, 2008

Iteresting Intriguing and a Time Well Spent

I enjoyed watching the movie and every moment of it. It is a movie that keeps you thinking and wondering long after the end, What really happened in there? December 25, 2007

A Mystery To Watch Over and Over Again

This is movie that I often put in my little box TV and watch while I play on the Internet. It's a slow rolling mystery that gets to you, and it has an wonderfully unexpected ending. Highly recommended for people who love slow-rolling mysteries without a lot of blood and guts.

An English woman and writer of mysteries needs a change of pace, and her publisher gives her the keys to his villa in southern France. There is, of course, a swimming pool and a murder. That's enough for those who haven't seen this sexy movie.

Why can't they produce more good mysteries? I hate it when there is so much action that the plot is lost. I like a movie with a solid plot, characters that I care about, and filmed in a way the evokes mystery. If I ask, where is this all leading and I finally get there, then it's a great movie.

Five stars for Swimming Pool.

September 18, 2007

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