Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
Swimming
Metascore
71 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
view
per page
  1. New Times (L.A.)
    Reviewed by: Bill Gallo
    90
    The result is a lovely piece of writing brought to life by a terrific cast, a vivid sense of place and, not incidentally, some perfectly chosen pop tunes by such as Bree Sharp, Leona Naess, Smog and Tin Star. As for Lauren Ambrose, her big-screen debut is a revelation.
  2. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Loren King
    88
    A rarity among modern movies: a coming-of-age tale without cliche or sentimentality. Bolstered by a luminous lead performance from Lauren Ambrose.
  3. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    80
    Siegel is almost too tasteful, nearly to the point where his coming-of-age story loses color and purpose. But he finds a mesmerizing presence in Ambrose, a terrific young actress who carries the film without a second of showiness.
  4. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Laura Sinagra
    80
    Director Robert J. Siegel allows the characters to inhabit their world without cleaving to a narrative arc. It's a luxurious hangout; spaces burgeon with goofy love and generous confusion.
  5. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Thomas
    80
    Ambrose's Frankie, who is more intelligent and capable of reflection than those around her but is even more unworldly than she realizes, is tremendously appealing.
  6. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Desson Thomson
    80
    Absolutely refuse to make predictable patterns in the sand. Instead, they set their characters loose.
  7. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Reece Pendleton
    80
    It's presented in such a nicely understated manner, and Ambrose turns in such a good lead performance, that it rises several notches above most of today's teen movies.
  8. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    75
    Swimming is above all about a young woman's face, and by casting an actress whose face projects that woman's doubts and yearnings, it succeeds. The face belongs to Lauren Ambrose.
  9. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    75
    Sprightly acting, understated emotions, and lovingly detailed ambience make this amiable comedy-drama an easygoing indie pleasure.
  10. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Carla Meyer
    75
    Keenly observed and refreshingly natural.
  11. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Chris Kaltenbach
    75
    Swimming is perceptive and, ultimately, embraceable. Like the adolescent it so lovingly depicts, this is a movie you want only the best for.
  12. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Merle Bertrand
    70
    Yes, there is a very palpable lesbian erotic undercurrent pervading this film. However, the reason it's so palpable is because it's so subtly and deftly handled...AND it's only one thread of the film's storyline.
  13. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Dave Kehr
    70
    Without exaggerating their lovability or condescending to their foolishness, Mr. Siegel makes vivid, likable people out of his three protagonists as they affect one another and are affected in turn.
  14. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jami Bernard
    63
    Its leisurely pace and reliance on Ambrose's pale-lashed gaze make it more of an interior monologue. That may not please viewers who crave action, but those with patience will be rewarded.
  15. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Megan Lehmann
    63
    There's nothing particularly startling or new in the script by Siegel and his co-writers Lisa Bazadona and Grace Woodard - except that it, refreshingly, draws its characters in real-life shades of gray.
  16. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Chuck Wilson
    60
    On the surface, this coming-of-age tale feels slight and unremarkable, yet the director's final close-up of Frankie packs a punch -- a testament to the power of a gifted young actress happily lost inside her first big role.
  17. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Kimberley Jones
    50
    Ambrose owns this crawlspace between being fierce and being fragile. But she can't escape the fact that her role is underwritten; the script suffers from an excess of subtlety.
prev next
Page:
  • 1