Review of Swimming with Sharks (1994) by Tyler P — 25 Sep 2010

Definitely a movie for Kevin Spacey fans, and it's one of my favorites. This arguably might be one of Spacey's meatiest roles, but it doesn't get the praise that American Beauty or The Usual Suspects gets. In this twisted take on showbiz cruelty, Frank Whaley stars as a film school grad who gets a job working as the assistant for Buddy Ackermann (Spacey), one of Hollywood's most powerful executives. But Buddy is the boss from Hell as a happily abusive, foulmouthed, vindictive, cruel and downright evil bastard who drags his new assistant through Hell. But when his assistant gets some damning information that affects him personally, he turns the tables on his boss and kidnaps him.

Think of this movie as a play, with writer/director George Huang based the film on his own experiences as a formerly abused Hollywood assistant. Huang was inspired by Robert Rodriguez, the director to make a film after telling Rodriguez about his experiences in the trade. Spacey easily delivers one of the best performances of his career on par with American Beauty and other distinguished roles, biting into each scene like a hungry dog. Perfectly contrasting him is Frank Whaley's put upon but naive Hollywood wannabe that Buddy molds into a potential player. There's not much action per se, but watching Spacey relish his role as the ultimate Boss from Hell is priceless, and he doesn't disappoint here.