The swimmer gay film
The Swimmer is yet another skin-thin film about gay men that is unfortunately more interested in titillation than characterization.
The Israeli gay coming-of-age drama The Swimmer arrives one week after Bros, a big-budget studio comedy that attempted to woo mainstream audiences by taking the framework of your basic romantic fluff piece and adding a homosexual spin. That it bombed spectacularly shouldn’t be too surprising, considering it starred the abrasive Billy Eichner and, well, wasn’t very good, its self-congratulatory tone proving as obnoxious as its leading man. But at least Bros featured characters who could occasionally crack a smile or two, something sorely missing from the majority of the queer films clogging art house screens, and The Swimmer is no exception. If anything, the clichés it peddles are even more enervating than those offered by something as blandly generic as Bros, the stink of pretension and “importance” permeating every scene. Writer-director Adam Kalderon based the story off his own experiences as an Olympic-bound swimmer, but that conceptual affection doesn&#;t lend much to the proceedings; indeed, what&#;s sorely lacking in The Swimmer is a
The Swimmer
The Swimmer starts with a scene of a chiseled man getting a shave. During this scene, the opening credits are displayed as the razor glides through the shaving cream. The main character, Erez (Omer Perelman Striks), is a young athlete in his twenties who arrives at a secluded teaching camp in an undisclosed location in Israel. The purpose of this camp is to determine which one of the five participants will earn the opportunity to represent Israel in the upcoming Olympics in swimming.
Due to financial constraints, only one person can be sent. Erez is incredibly driven and focused on achieving this goal. It becomes clear throughout the film that Erez is gay and in the closet. This is revealed through his habit of admiring his teammates in the shower and stealing one of their speedos for personal pleasure. His love for Madonna is presented as a nature detail that further supports understanding his closeted identity.
Nevo (Asaf Jonas) is the owner of the speedos Erez stole. Erez grows a liking to Nevo, despite Nevo being straight and having a girlfriend. This distraction could jeopardize Erez's Olympic dreams, which upsets his coach, Dima
Oops
Description
The latest gay film from Israel, zero-ing in on Director Adam Kalderon&#;s control personal experience. Speedos, moisture, desire… and only one ticket to the Olympics.
Erez, a rising star on the elite swimming scene, arrives at a tough training camp with a singular aim – to win a fiercely contested place in the national Olympic team. Intense competition precludes any chance of friendship with his fellow athletes until, that is, Erez meets the handsome and talented Nevo, who unexpectedly stirs within him unconscious desires. As his resolve begins to falter, Erez must navigate a path through a heady mix of high-stakes rivalry and erotic longing in this electrifying and sexy drama.
The Swimmer DVD Extras:
- Interview with Director Adam Kalderon
Cast:Omer Perelman, Asaf Jonas, Ofek Cohen, Gal Reznik
Director:Adam Kalderon
Country: Israel
Running Time: 90
VoD Emit Date:
Year:
Swimming in the fast lane
There are waves of homoeroticism and a strong homosexual undercurrent in “The Swimmer,” writer/director Adam Kalderon’s intense, arty drama about Israeli Olympic hopefuls.
The clip opens with a fabulous credit sequence featuring buff bodies being shaved. (The colors of the Israeli flag, blue and alabaster , are used for both the shaving cream and for the titles). The story begins as Erez (Omer Perelman Striks) is dropped off at a training camp run by Dima (Igal Reznik). Erez is here to “punch the Olympic ticket” as only one of the five other competitors at the camp will be selected for Team Israel.
Erez has a strong chance; he finishes first in several (but not all) of the rigorous development exercises. And Kalderon focuses on not just on the lithe, speedo-clad bodies in the water, but also the sweat and muscles of these athletes as they compete in a bent arm hang.
It soon becomes clear that Nevo (Asaf Jonas), is Erez’s biggest rival. He also appears to be the object of Erez’s secret crush. The two guys start spending day together, and their bromance quickly catches the attention not only of the other swimmers, but also Dima, who warns Erez publicly and private
.