Swimming Home (2024)

Swimming Home (2024). 1h 39m

“I was intrigued by the synopsis, but it turned out as a disappointment. Probably director and (co-)writer Justin Anderson had the sincere intention to make a moving, tension-filled drama about a waning relationship, but the chosen form was at best enigmatic; or to put it more frankly: pretentious, tedious and increasingly irritating.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe pace is extremely slow; the narrative (as far as it is discernible) is constantly interrupted by scenes that seem to be completely at odds with it, (like extensive sequences where dancers perform almost gymnastic routines, or a random naked man on a boat); the main characters (Isabel and Joe) talk in riddles and behave totally erratic; and the score is annoyingly bleak. The only positive thing is the photography, but that was greatly helped by the wonderful light and beautiful surroundings on this (I guess) Greek island.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe woman Kitti, who is found as an uninvited guest, drifting in the pool of the unhappy couple, walks around the premise stark naked for most of the time – sure, she has a beautiful body, but it very much impressed as deliberately provocative; her role as an erotic temptress could as easily have been achieved with a sexy bikini. Another example of such obvious trying to be provocative: a weird and extremely cringey peeing-scene, that almost made me gasp in disbelief!u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMain character Joe reveals halfway into the movie a traumatic background (apparently he was once a child-fugitive from the Balkan), and then thereu0026#39;s suddenly the suggestion of Kitti being some sort of angelic messenger who has come to persuade Joe to go home, wherever this u0026quot;homeu0026quot; might be (maybe even u0026quot;deathu0026quot;), – at least, thatu0026#39;s what I made of it all.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWatching this film I only got more and more puzzled and weary and annoyed. I know, maybe my too simple brain should be blamed, stupidly missing out on tons of profound metaphors. Or could there be something seriously amiss with the way the makers have told and pictured their story? In my humble opinion itu0026#39;s definitely the latter.”