Review of Swimming with Sharks (1994) by Rick C — 18 Oct 2006

I realised I was on shaky ground with this film in the opening credits when the director/writer decides to insult a large portion of his audience with his Shelley Winters/Poseidon joke (a joke one could see coming a mile off). I have seen a large amount of her work but if people only remember her from The Poseidon Adventure - so what? It is better to be remembered for one film than to be completely forgotten about. It's one thing to show your knowledge of cinema in your film; it's another to act superior to your audience about it.

Also, the film tried too hard and was too on the nose with Kevin Spacey's assholishness. He was almost a cartoon character. In fact he probably wouldn't be out of place as a Bond bad guy.

The film's satire of the film business was like watching an amateur boxer fight a professional. Hitting out whenever it could without any thought about it. Billy Wilder did it better, wittier, with more intelligence and melancholy and love for film fifty years ago.

Oh, and the ending pissed me off.