While most men deal with their mid-life crises with the purchase of an expensive sports car or an extravagant vacation, Eric (Rob Brydon) side-steps those cliches and joins a male synchronised swim team. This unlikely scenario is brought to pleasant fruition in Swimming with Men.
Comedian/actor Brydon has the perfect face to translate the boredom and uncertainty of his middle years. He lets things get out of control at home and ends up leaving his wife Heather (Jane Horrocks) and son Billy (Spike White). He is also frustrated with his repetitive work as an accountant.
While the overall theme of the film may seem slight on paper, on-screen, the results are very charming albeit in a very British way. Eric’s underwater friends all have their own individual stories and the movie delightfully fills in the finer details as things progress.
While there is no hard focus on any of the character’s actions and the script uses words sparingly, it is refreshing to not have everything explained to you via large chunks of verbal exposition. It’s a unique take on the subject matter and joyfully ends with a splendidly absurd dance number.
Rob Hudson
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