The Swimmer

“This is the day Ned Merrill swims around the county”

The Swimmer is a haunting tale about a middle-aged man making his way home via every pool in his rich Connecticut neighborhood. Ned is first seen swimming a few lengths, having unexpectedly turned up in the garden of an old friend. As he leaves the pool a hand appears offering him a drink. Ned has gate crashed a small get-together, but his friends are delighted to see him. Time has clearly passed since they met last. Everything seems wonderful. They reminisce about old times. They admire the weather and the water in the pool, but nobody wants to swim with him. There is something odd about their behaviour. It is mannered and slightly exaggerated as if they are playing at it. The dialogue is overly poetic, and through it all is an underlying sense of loss.

Ned's journey sees him encounter a variety of people, all of whom have some relationship with him. There is the mother of a friend who reacts with hostility to Ned. Julie, a 20 year-old blonde who used to babysit for Ned’s children, is happy to accompany him for part of his journey until things go awry. There is a painful meeting with his former mistress and an excruciating pool party where Ned makes a public spectacle of himself. The most telling encounter is with a young boy whose parents have drained their pool in case he drowns. Ned pretends to swim the pool with the boy, who wonders if this is cheating. Ned assures him, “If you believe in something hard enough, then it's real for you.” As his journey progresses the weather changes. The natural world, so warm before, now seems harsh and threatening; Ned begins to feel the cold and it becomes clear something is wrong.

Frank Perry may be an unfamiliar name, but he has directed a sad little masterpiece with The Swimmer. Marvin Hamlish's music will send shivers down your spine. Lancaster is astonishing, able to show Ned's strength and his increasing vulnerability. There's a humiliating moment where he's scolded in a public swimming baths for having dirty feet. Lancaster looks broken. It is rare to see a Hollywood tough guy allowing himself to look so meek. He makes the dialogue ache with nostalgia. When at one point he tells a guest at a party (played by a young Joan Rivers) that he is different from other men, “noble and splendid,” you are aware that Ned is deluded, but you can't help agreeing with him.

Kevin S