Okay, the first time I heard about this film (Swingers, people who swap partners at clubs and private meetings) I thought: Those swingers... aren't that just bored middle-class couples who don't appeal to me at all? And we don't need yet another Dutch film with a lot of nudity. Right? Wrong! First of all, Dutch audiences generally dislike nudity in Dutch films because it's usually irrelevant to the story-line. Sex just to shock or draw people to the box-office. But Swingers is far more intelligent than to do just that. It shows explicit sex, yes, but only at the point were there can't be anything else BUT explicit sex. This film is much more a well-told story of what sexual fantasies can do within a relationship. When Diana (Ellen van der Koogh), a woman in her late thirties, and her husband Julian (Danny de Kok) decides to experiment sexually with another couple, she is adorably insecure. She projects all the questions we would have, questions of fidelity, jealousy etc. But let's face it: also a healthy dose of fantasy and lust. They put out an ad on the Internet and plan a weekend at her parents' house who are away on Holidays. (The house is awesome. It should have had a credit of it's own) When their date arrive (Alexandra, played by Nienke Brinkhuis and Timo, played by Joep Sertons) you know already that this film is much more than just an erotic-tainted film. They are the opposite of Diana and Julian. As die-hard swingers they are there to show them how the game is played. At the press-viewing I attended were a lot of female journalists and they were very positive about this film. The acting is very good, the nudity is tasteful and the plot is simple yet smart. It takes this film stunningly little time to care for each of the characters. You even understand the thrills and excitement about the theme, without advertising it. But it also shows the pitfalls and dangers of it all, without condemning the swingers-scene. It doesn't claim to be a moral judge to approve or not. This film runs 93 minutes and at the end you feel you have witnessed the rise and fall of two relationships you care for. Go see this film.
Review of Swingers
