Le nageur

So we have swimmers competing for one spot at the Olympics, driven by a hard-as-nails coach and all that seems pretty run-of-the-mill. What promised to be different was the story of the closeted swimmer attracted to a rival, but it fell apart. I wonder if scenes were cut that would have added texture and depth because I wondered why the coach suddenly turned against the swimmer he said was going all the way, and why being gay in Israel would disqualify anyone from being on an international team. Someone says the coach has never done anything in his life, but we don't know that or what his story really is. Likewise, we have very little understanding of the main character's life or why he's suddenly "kicked out of" the locker room. What happened? And then the ridiculous disco ending just made no sense. If you make it to the end you'll wonder why Erez seems to do what he does...anything else would be a spoiler. Better yet, don't waste your time. There are echoes here of a brilliant movie, Chariots of Fire, and invoking that film was a mistake because it makes this one seem puny.