The Swimmer
John Cheever, the short story writer, had one of the most unique imaginations in Western literature. His stories don’t always make sense, but they are always captivatingly strange. The other wonderful thing about his stories is that they are pithy, to the point, given the length of ideas he is presenting. This adaptation of The Swimmer feels a bit long compared to the story, which is unusual for an adaptation of a written work. Mind you, most movie adaptations are of novels or novellas, not short stories. The Swimmer begins with a unique idea, a man with a dark past and amnesia taking a swimming tour of his suburban neighborhood. In the story, we have the unfolding of a strange idea, trying to make sense of it. In the movie we have Burf Lancaster and co-stars in sexy swimming wear hoping that we would be distracted enough to watch more than twice the length that it takes to read the story.
And if they had added more strangeness, more eccentric characters, it might have worked. If they had added another theme to weave through the story of suburban dangers and nightmares, that would be good. But spacey Burt could only keep me interested for so long. I’m gla to have watched it, but it won’t be a favorite. However, it does remind me that I should read more of
John Cheever.
3/5