273. Swimming With Men; movie review

SWIMMING WITH MEN
Cert 12A
97 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, moderate sex references

Did I miss something? Is it full monty season? Hot on the heels of the bro-mance of Walk Like A Panther comes Swimming With Men.
Both have their merits but are in the shadow of the Sheffield strippers.
Oliver Parker's movie about catharsis through synchronised swimming did make me giggle a couple of times but there is, nevertheless, a heavy sense of middle-aged deja vu.
It stars Rob Brydon as Eric, an accountant who is bored witless by his job and unsettled at home after his go-getting wife (Jane Horrocks) is elected to the local council.
The only solace from Eric's mid-life crisis is his daily swim and that leads to him making friends with a group of chaps who hold a clandestine weekly meeting.
They may have rules similar to Fight Club but actually they are synchronised swimmers.
Initially, they practice privately but a quirk of fate leads them "coming out" in public and going on to compete.
And, of course, there are myriad crazy scenes as they try to perfect their routines.
There is a happy balance between the various members of the team and their idiosyncrasies (Thomas Turgoose plays a petty criminal who is perpetually on the run from the law, Rupert Graves is the unlucky-in -love organiser, while Daniel Mays is a sensitive failed footballer).
But Brydon's character remains the focus and he fits well among this group of self-confessed misfits.
Initially, I feared that Swimming With Men simply wouldn't work - its jokes seemed off-key and I thought its premise was a bit hackneyed.
However, the longer it progressed the more empathy I had with the team's dysfunctional players.
Of course, Parker's film is playing for laughs and some might see it as frivolous but there is pathos which will particularly strike a chord with men of a certain age.
And, by its finale, I was rooting for those synchronised swimmers

Reasons to watch: Easygoing comedy with a bit of pathos
Reasons to avoid: Not enough loud-out-loud moments

Laughs: Two and a few chuckles
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: Bare bums
Overall rating: 7/10

Director quote - Oliver Parker: "It is about middle age and a band of guy who hook up in a swimming pool and it helps them reconnect."

The big question - Is synchronised swimming really cathartic?

Share this post