A Bigger Splash, directed by Luca Guadagnino, is based two other movies: Jacques Deray’s La Piscine (The Swimming Pool 1969) and Swimming Pool (2003) directed by Francis Oson starring Charlotte Rampling. I have not seen these previous movies. In this new version, Tilda Swinton plays a rock star who is recovering from throat surgery. Her doctors have warned her not to talk for six weeks. Matthias Schoenarts plays Swinton’s hunky companion and lover. The couple retreat to a small, peaceful Italian town while Swinton recovers from her surgery. But their plans explode when Swinton’s ex-husband, played by a manic Ralph Fiennes, shows up. He has in tow a nubile young woman (Dakota Johnson) who he has just discovered is his daughter. Fiennes’s high-energy character was a noted record producer who worked with the Rolling Stones. One of the film’s high points (or low points depending on your perspective) features Fiennes prancing around singing “Emotional Rescue” which he claims he produced.
My problem with A Bigger Splash revolves the likability of all the characters. Don’t get me wrong: Swinton, Fiennes, Schoenarts, and Johnson deliver excellent performances. But these characters are so shallow, narcissistic, and creepy it was hard for me to care what happened to them. If you’re in the mood for a very off-putting movie, give A Bigger Splash a try. GRADE: C
I had somewhat the same problem with THE SWIMMING POOL (1969.) Just couldn’t give a damn.
Dan, I’m glad it wasn’t just me. The characters in THE BIGGER SPLASH vary from indifferent to repellent.
No, thanks. “Repellent” is not going to get my movie dollars. I must admit that even though she’s a very good actress, I find Tilda Swinton weird and off-putting a lot of times. I am not a big Ralph Fiennes fan either – maybe it’s the Voldemort thing – and Dakota Johnson is not a strong actress.
Jeff, Tilda Swinton takes on some strange roles. She’s going to play the Ancient One in the upcoming DOCTOR STRANGE movie. Ralph Fiennes stands on his head (literally!) playing his manic, annoying role in A BIGGER SPLASH. Dakota Johnson mostly sits around and looks sexy in this film.
I totally agree with you on Swinton, Jeff.
this movie is not for me
As you might expect, unlikable characters do not put me off if they are interesting. In this movie, they sometimes were. Ralph Fiennes is a very different character than in La Piscine. I found the cursory investigation of the crime interesting too. I wonder how often celebrities get off because they intimidate the local gendarmes. I’d give it a B.
Patti, you’re right about the sham investigation. Celebrities get a different version of Justice.
Coincidently, we had just watched the Charlotte Rampling “Swimming Pool” a couple of weeks ago. I enjoyed it and it’s rather ambiguous ending. This, like so many others, is an “I might watch it on Netflix” thing for me.
Also, I remember a movie from the 1980s–a fictionalized portrayal of David Hockney, the artist who painted so many beautifully-rendered images of swimming pools–called “A Deeper Splash.”
I should never rely on my memory before breakfast. According to Wikipedia, the Hockney movie (named for one of his paintings) was also called “A Bigger Splash” and that is where the makers of the current movie took their title.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bigger_Splash
Deb, thanks for the clarification!
Deb, a lot happens in and around the swimming pool in A BIGGER SPLASH. Like Patti, you might enjoy A BIGGER SPLASH more than I did.
Hockney must have painted a hundred swimming pools.
Ludivine Sagnier and Rampling play off each other well in SWIMMING POOL, even if the playing with perception in it is a bit of a stretch. I suspect you might like that film better.
While I wasn’t aware of A BIGGER SPLASH at all, before reading Anne Billson’s review of LA PISCINE, and the reactions to that. Haven’t seen either of those.
Todd, I like Charlotte Rampling so if SWIMMING POOL shows up on TCM or Netflix, I’ll give it a try.
BTW, the director of Swimming Pool was François Ozon.