The tone of Swimming Pool is unhurried, deliberate, and subtly haunting. The director eschews the rat-a-tat editing techniques beloved by many of his contemporaries. Instead, he favors long, sustained shots and does not rely too much on close-ups. Swimming Pool is not a fast-paced motion picture, but it has a compelling quality that draws the viewer into its web and traps him or her there. Understanding, however, requires careful attention and constant vigilance. Even in retrospective, the seams between reality and fantasy are not clearly delineated, and it will probably demand a second viewing to complete Swimming Pool's puzzle. A casual, inattentive audience member will either be completely confused by the ending, or, even worse, might miss the twist altogether.
The clues in Swimming Pool require thought and interpretation to decipher. There are plenty of hints about what's going on within the movie, but those will mostly be missed or dismissed by even alert viewers. Only at the end does the film provide us with a tidbit of evidence that's impossible to ignore. Rampling is wonderful here as the sour-tempered, frigid writer. Sagnier's performance is eye-opening - in more ways that one. The young actress spends much of the movie either half-naked or completely so. Aside from having a great body, however, she gives an impressive performance as a girl seeking refuge in promiscuity from personal demons.
Swimming Pool does some interesting things with the relationship between Sarah and Julie. At first, these two are obvious antagonists. But, in spite of her anger and irritation at the younger woman's presence, Sarah is also fascinated. Hints of a lesbian attraction are subtle, but unmistakable. And, as things develop and Sarah learns more about Julie, a curious kind of cross-pollination occurs. Julie develops a sense of reserve and Sarah becomes more liberated. The movie stops short of a complete role-reversal, but, before Swimming Pool comes to a close, Sarah has smoked pot and casually offered her body to a handyman and Julie has put on some clothes.
Swimming Pool is not as psychologically complex as other films that brought Ozon international acclaim. But, for those willing to invest a little effort and 100 minutes of their time, the film is involving enough to make it worthwhile. There are narrative weaknesses and unmet expectations surrounding the climax that the epilogue's revelations cannot entirely dispel, but on balance, the performances and tone are more than enough to earn Swimming Pool a solid recommendation. Take a dip - the water's fine.