Swimming Pool (2003)
Directed by François Ozon

Film Review

After the overly stylised romp that was 8 femmes, director François Ozon returns to more familiar territory, that of the psychological thriller, with Swimming Pool, his first English language production.  There are striking similarities with Ozon's earlier film, Sous le sable: both are dark, compelling dramas with a small cast and minimalist style, both involve the subtle interaction of reality and imagination, and both see the magnificent Charlotte Rampling in the lead role.  Despite the stark difference in the visual style we see in Ozon's films, there is a strange sense of continuity and a gradual progression towards a darker, more introspective style of cinema, a trend which Swimming Pool continues.

Ozon's near-faultless filmmaking technique makes this a seductive, evocative work, curiously reminiscent of the style of those masters of the psychological thriller genre, Alfred Hitchcock and Claude Chabrol.  The cinematography is so beautiful that the spectator's gaze is constantly drawn to the screen, whether the camera is locked onto a gently lapping swimming pool or is lustfully panning along the outstretched naked form of one of the film's two leading ladies.   Yet in addition to this sensual thrill there is something else, something which engages the intellect and holds our fascination.  As in all of Ozon's work, there is a mystery at the heart of this film, and one that is - frustratingly for the spectator - rather abstract and not even partly explained.  The most ambiguous and baffling of the director's films to date, Swimming Pool shows us many visual clues and leaves it to us, the voyeurist intruder, to assemble them into a coherent whole.  Those who rise to this challenge will doubtless enjoy the film; those who can't be asked will - justifiably - feel they've been had.

A strong cast is another of Ozon's hallmarks and in this department Swimming Pool certainly does not disappoint.  Charlotte Rampling, who gave such a memorable performance in Sous le sable, is perfect for the part of the archetypal English crime writer - a cool, staid exterior barely containing a torrent of pent-up emotions.  She is perfectly complemented by Ludivine Sagnier, a talented young actress who has starred in two of Ozon's previous films.   Totally transformed into a Bardot-esque object of desire, Sagnier shows herself to be a mature and capable actress who is clearly destined for a hugely successful international film career.

The film has been criticised for its abstract nature, reliance on stock clichés and predictable ending.  It is certainly true that Swimming Pool is not François Ozon's best work to date - it lacks the cool Germanic style of Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes, the vulgar originality of 8 femmes and the aching, introspective depth of Sous le sable.  Yet it is a mesmerising, haunting work - an exploration of the creative process and a carefully observed portrayal of how one human being can be affected by interactions with other human beings.  And, for the less intellectually endowed, there are plenty of erotic shots of Ludivine Sagnier to drool over and savour (in a purely artistic sense, you understand).  All in all, an intriguing and skilfully crafted piece of cinema.

Film Synopsis

Sarah Morton is a successful writer of crime fiction.  Feeling the time has come for her to attempt a more serious novel, she accepts an offer from her publisher, John Bosland, to work at his holiday home in the South of France.  Not long after Sarah has begun her new novel, she is disturbed by the arrival of a young woman, Julie, who claims to be her publisher's daughter.  Sarah, a repressed middle-aged spinster, is not pleased to share the house with a totally sexually liberated brat who is barely out of kindergarten.  Yet she is strangely drawn to Julie, who provides the inspiration she has been looking for.  Likewise, Julie is affected by Sarah's presence - but not necessarily for the better...