"Swimming with Men" is a new British comedy movie from 2018 directed by BAFTA nominee Oliver Parker and written by Aschlin Ditta in what can be considered his breakthrough effort perhaps. These 95 minutes are definitely a film that could make a minor impact at the next BAFTAs too, even if the genre is maybe not too awards-friendly. I will not say too much about the cast as you can check the list for yourself. The main character is played by Rob Brydon and he proves certainly that he is more than a poor man's Steve Coogan, even if the two look alike for sure. Rupert Graves is in it too, but the most known supporting cast member for me here is Jim Carter who will be a treat especially to Downton Abbey audiences. Anyway, his presence here is something that is symbolic for the entire film in terms of drama. Even a rushed in story about his dead wife simply cannot make this film anything more than a comedy and this also applies to everything related to the main character: his job, his marriage, his son and so on. The film is somewhat stuck between wanting to be taken seriously in this field too and just using drama as means that it does not become a film that is ridiculously and unrealistically comedic in a negative way. So yes, it is all about the laughter and there is indeed a lot. Most of it is pretty good like all the water scenes basically or the ways in which the protagonist struggles with the group of swimmers early on, for example the scene where he does not even want to be included, but they talk in a way as if he wants it so badly and they struggles with accepting him. Of course, on the other hand, there are also some letdowns from the comedy perspective, but of course it cannot all be a success. This refers for example to the telephone talk scene in the car with the two boys in it too that is really funny only once, if at all. Or the conflicts between the swimmers really were another failed attempt at drama. The one area where they were doing it right was the kid that is constantly hunted by the police. Another thing I struggled with here were the antagonists, like the wife's boss (the punching scene felt so unnecessary) or the Swedish swimmer with a love interest in the female coach. Sure we are supposed to cheer for one of the swimmers getting her, one of the guys from our team, but to see how he is antagonized for no reason really just didn't feel right, also due to how respectfully he acted towards the team. It was not all just fake. Anyway, there's also some positive aspects for sure in terms of realism, like the fact that our team eventually did not need to win to truly make an impact. And more. It's not about a 100% happy ending no matter which perspective you take. It is a bit of an unusual British comedy because of how innocent and harmless it is, no black humor in it at all really. I have seen people compare it to "The Full Monty", but I have not seen that one, so I cannot talk about parallels and differences. Anyway, back to this one here: I certainly recommend checking it out. It does what it needed to do as a comedy. It is funny at times, 2 or 3 times maybe even laugh-out-loud funny, even if those will be seen differently and appreciate differently by everybody in the audiences. I myself don't hesitate in giving this one a thumbs-up. i was surprised how full the theater was during my sitting as I ddi not expect this film to lure many viewers in there, especially on a summer day outside of Britain, but they went there rightfully and weren't disappointed I'm sure. The slightly awkward gay-themed humor was also a win, which is always a bit of a difficult subject in comedies. Well done all around. See it.

Rob Brydon stars as an accountant in the midst of a middle-age meltdown, who meets a group of amateur male synchronized swimmers at a local pool. They recognize him as 'one of their own'--looking for an outlet to escape life's pressures, and invite him into the club: rule number one of the swim club is don't talk about the swim club. Another rule is never talk about your private life at the swim club..and that's too bad. Brydon's life is clearly the thread that winds throughout the film, but we learn precious little about his fellow swim mates, and through a few snippets, it sounds like their back stories might have been more interesting than his. The club members range in age from a tattooed 20 something (always running from police) to a 70 something widower with an diverse assortment of characters in between.

Brydon is a rather logical fellow, but leaves his wife after their bratty teen son feeds him false reports of mom having affair/mom wants divorce..mom (Jane Horrocks) seems to be in the dark about Brydon's behavior changes. And change he does from the fellow who calculated the risk of everything to one willing to work against odds for a competition the team enters.

I imagine some will label this sort of a 'Full Monty in the pool'..but it isn't because there is not quite the camaraderie or comedy of that earlier film. The sight of the men, none in Olympic shape, trying to learn the finer points of water ballet is amusing, but don't look for laugh out loud funny. The performances by Brydon, Rupert Graves, Adeel Akhtar, Jim Carter, and others was top notch, and I thought some of the camera work (from city scenes that accentuate the 'one-ness' of everyone to the underwater shots) was pretty good.

It's a movie that's hard to classify..I'll just say it's about changes life hands us, changes we make on our own, and taking chances. Although I wouldn't say it was a must-see, it was an enjoyable film with a few tugs on the heart strings.

Greetings again from the darkness. If you are surprised to find a movie about an all-men's middle-aged synchronized swim team, then you'll likely be shocked to learn that another film on the same topic, LE GRAND BAIN (Sink or Swim),was released earlier this year, and these follow up a 2010 documentary MEN WHO SWIM covering the Swedish Men's synchronized swim team. That's right ... three films! It is with great pleasure that I report director Olive Parker and writer Aschlin Ditta have delivered a charming and heartfelt movie that is really quite enjoyable, and more nuanced than you might pre-judge it to be.

Rob Brydon (THE TRIP) stars as Eric, a successful accountant going through a mid-life crisis that negatively affects his work, his marriage to Heather (a terrific Jane Horrocks),and his relationship with his teenage son Billy (Spike White). Eric spends his office days in a foggy haze, waiting for 6:00 pm so he can hit the local pool for a few laps - his only time alone without thoughts of boredom. On one of these evening dips, he (and we) get quite a visual ... 7 men in goggles and caps sitting on the pool floor in a coordinated manner.

Soon enough, thanks to his math and analytical skills, Eric is invited to join the swim club (first rule of swim club: Don't talk about swim club!) consisting of team leader Luke (Rupert Graves),dentist Kurt (Adeel Akhtar),young scofflaw Tom (Thomas Turgoose),recent widower Ted (Jim Carter),former youth footballer Colin (Daniel Mays),the "new guy" (Ronan Daly),and "Silent Bob" (Chris Jepson). Rather than the island of misfit toys, it's a group of slightly damaged men - each with their own story of why life isn't so great at the moment. We learn about each right along with Eric, and easily see how he fits right in. This group alternates drowning their sorrows with a pint at the local pub with nearly drowning each other at the local pool ... with only the best intentions, of course.

Once the lads learn there is a competition in Milan, they bring on local swim teacher Susan (a spunky Charlotte Riley, "Peaky Blinders") to coach them towards respectability. Sure, we get a few clichés and the predictability of events is usually spot on; yet, there is a core to the story and to each of the men that brings a welcome depth. Their coordination in the water leads to their better balance on dry land (aka, everyday life).

This is far from traditional cinematic masculinity, and instead shows us the impact of friendship and purpose. The original reason for forming the team was to protest the meaningless of life - to find their purpose. This is accomplished through the brilliance of gentle British humor (think DANNY DECKCHAIR, THE FULL MONTY, EDDIE THE EAGLE),and the clumsiness of full-bodied men in a pool ... accompanied by Tom Jones' version of "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World".