Swimming Pool

An atmospheric game played by Ozon with the viewer about his favorite topic - women. But first impressions can be wrong. It might seem that it is all going to be about an ageing writer’s problems with inspiration. But toward the end the movie heads into completely different genre waters. Clear proof that, with a minimum of space and a minimum of actors, a quality screenplay and wonderful camerawork, it’s possible to make a picture that will resound inside you for some time after. And the icing on the cake is the gorgeous (and half naked in most of her scenes) Ludivine Sagnier and a beautiful, ambiguous ending that leaves the interpretation up to you. (22/01/2007)

It probably won't be up to 100% because it has a few weak spots, but everything else is extremely symphonic, refined, psychologically very interesting, and carefully thought out. It smacks slightly of Lynch at times, but when ride it around and around there's ultimately nothing inexplicable in this film. Apparently it consists of a clash (one possible interpretation, I guess) between an extremely successful enchantress (who has certain promiscuous tendencies) and a frigid old woman who experiences something like an enlightenment or spiritual awakening, which results in very interesting things starting to happen and the atmosphere thickening until it's not pretty... There's that European feel to it, and Francois Ozon appealed to me at first with his distinctively atmospheric approach. A great biting soundtrack. (20/10/2012)