| British mystery novel writer Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) does not seem to give a hoot to the admiration of a fan in the subway or a young writer encountered in the publisher's office. She in fact scorns the latter who has just won an award - "Awards are like haemorrhoids, sooner or later, every as***le will get one" she says. But then, her reaction to the positive feedback from her publisher John Bosload (Charles Dance) is obvious, perhaps a little too obvious, becoming quite tale telling about the relationship between them.
Deftly use of sound off from a train takes her through her trip to John's resort in France, offered to her as a quiet retreat to recapture her inspiration. While writing is undoubtedly a key motivation for this sabbatical, it is also more than obvious that she yearns for his company there. She calls him from France, telling him that everything is well and asks if he can get away for a little while to join her there, and he simply temporizes. When she puts down the phone, that he-is-never-going-to-come look on her face demonstrates what an absolutely first class actress Rampling is.
The story really begins when John's daughter Julie shows up. Ludivine Sagnier, the smart little girl who solves the mystery in director Ozon's acclaimed masterpiece 8 Women has grown up, with shapely breasts which she does not care about hiding behind clothing. The duel between the two women thus commences, sometimes fiery, sometime subtle, but not without mutual appreciation and self-revelation. The plot is not really too important, and sometimes tend towards surreal. It's the nuances that command the audiences' attention.
Although Swimming Pool is at heart not really a murder mystery, it does carry shades of Hitchcock who, as it is well know, is an idol of director Ozon. The way the movie is shot constantly reminds one of the great director. There is one spot in particular, when we see Sarah going up a flight of stairs in the house, shot at a low angle with the stairs, looming dark, covering the left side of the frame. Very shortly after, we see exactly the same shot with Julie walking up those stairs. This is strongly reminiscent of Vertigo.
For those who absolutely must have a clear answer to everything, suspend your sense of logic. Although Swimming Pool is not quite as convoluted as Adaptation, there are still layers that should perhaps be left untouched. Whether it's Julie's story or Julie's mother's story or Sarah' story is not important. Even the question of whether someone actually got killed is not really that important. Watch Rampling's acting which is second to none. Watch the invigorating freshness of Sagnier. Watch the beauty of Ozon's direction. Allow for a little bit of the surreal. It's worth it. |
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