Al agua gambas

The Shiny Shrimps

At first glance this just appears a French fusion of Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Swimming with Men. However it is neither, as the first was about harsh survival and the second a self-help group for broken men.

No other country except France produces such light touch comedy based on self-deprecation of ones own foibles and effortlessly mingles this with pathos and insight on the human condition. It is truly a French trait you see in many comedies from La Cage Aux Folles onwards.

This was very much a gay movies for a gay audience, the swimming club was presented as a place for self expression, meeting friends and having fun.

The whole movie was really all just froth and nonsense and had nothing to say of any gravitas. The acting was good, the set pieces in the pool not quite so good. We had two thoughts expressed that were of interest

• it is better to lose with the people you love than win alone.

• a minority group retains the privilege of expressing itself with derogatory language against itself (in this case homophobic).

I had a really great night as it was very entertaining but it largely appeals to a very specific audience so it's definitely not for everyone.

Funny, emotional and happy! The kind of movies we all need right now

Although I do not belong to any of the two next categories, I think this film can please both gays (well, for obvious reasons) and homophobic people (let's say it's ultra cliche). Be prepared for an encounter of the third kind with the complete YMCA (Village People, 1978) and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Stephan Elliott, 1994) ... in swimming suit! This is clearly not a masterpiece and the script is predictable, but the actors are really endearing and the film is full of wacky and hilarious replies, even if the jokes are not always very subtle, far from Oscar Wilde's comedies as an example. In this regard, although the film is categorized 'all public', I will not necessarily suggest you to see this movie with your 7-year-old niece, if any. In short: I liked this nice teamwork!

This film is a fun and feel good film. It is very cliched, with some very loud queens doing the gayest stuff possible. It is funny to see them beside a supposedly (but not very) homophobic athlete. You won't see intense water polo matches in the film, even though the guys are in the water a lot. After all, it is a comedy and not a water polo film!

Enjoyed shiny shrimps Loved Joel (the aging activist) Some moments felt a little cliched but it's based on a true story which I love (dark horse doc being a huge fav of mine) and the balance of characters - Cedric the dad another fav - makes the film Well worth a watch