User reviews

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

I classify myself as a human being. Other human beings classify me as a straight white male. I still classify myself as a human being. I enjoyed this movie, seeing random humans doing happy random stuff. It's confusing that my fellow humans don't know 2nd article of UDHR.

Sports movies are about overcoming obstacles and finding strength in a team. This movie is no exception. The difference is that, this time, the team is going to the Gay Games, an international competition that celebrate LGBT people through sports. And they're being trained by an outsider : a swimmer who called a journalist a homophobic slur and has to make amends. Being an LGBT movie at the same time as a sports movie makes it possible to join two concepts from these two genres : the sports team, and the LGBT « found family ». The character of the trainer is then put as a contrast, as he becomes part of the team against his will, but does it for his own personal motives, not for the team members. Of course, he is a complex character who is also given the opportunity to evolve through the course of the movie. The obstacles that the team and its members have to face are varied, and all seen through a LGBT lens, although they avoid being reductible to « LGBT problems ». This allows the characters to be multi-dimensional : being gay (or trans in the case of one character) is a big part of their identity and of the movie (and of course they unfortunately have to deal with homophobia and transphobia), but it isn't their only defining characteristic, and they all live their gay-ness differently anyway. I don't want to say too much about the characters' issues because getting to know them is part of the journey. Some parts of the movie are a bit cliché, or, better said, predictable, but I doesn't take away the emotional core of the movie, which is, I think, above all about the ability of accepting yourself (even in the face of intolerance) and the importance of support among friends. I must say that, at the beginning of the movie, I was a bit disconcerted by some (not all) of the performances, which I found a little flat. However, this problem didn't last and I became entirely caught in the story. The last scene made me very emotional ; emotions which were only accentuated by the perfect music choice for the credits (Kid, by Eddy de Pretto, always makes me emotional). Even with the inherent sadness from a movie that deals with homophobia, illness and heartbreak, it still is a « feel-good » movie that makes you feel like you can be brave and live your dreams I very much recommend it.

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!

Not the most innovative movie. But it works fine. Quite fun, feel-good, cool music, some very good moments, and some that pulls down. What draws down is that it is quite cliché filled with how we gays should look and behave. Most of the characters fill these perceptions of gays, but I shouldn't grumble about that. If you liked The Birdcage and In & Out, you'll probably like this one too.

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

I liked this! I am not going to pretend it is in any way groundbreaking; indeed in many ways it reinforces some pretty infantile stereotypes. A world class straight swimmer (Nicolas Gob) makes derogatory remarks about a gay reporter and is "sentenced" to look after the French gay water polo team by way of punishment. They turn out to be the worst kind of sporting team imaginable - but add swimming trunks (sometimes!) and the film tells the story of how he manages to get them to the Gay Games in Croatia. It is a predictable but fun romp, nonetheless. In a genre frequently super-charged with political correctness and sex; this is just a bit of fun. Give it a go - it will make you smile.

This movie deserves 10/10... it is funny, fierce and even through the tears hearing Bonnie Tyler's "Holding out for a hero" it was moving from start to finish... no matter the odds we all have to face in life, it is about facing your fears and taking chances. whether you win or lose, it is all about being in the moment and appreciating the blessing that is life. amazing cast and a phenomenal soundtrack! everyone deserves to be happy and to be loved. we should continue to aspire to be more respectful of each other, and not hold onto to our ignorance, fears or pointless hatred for the things we don't try to understand. if anyone expects compassion from another person, they should at least be able to show the same compassion.

Seems like a movie from the seventies, full of horrible cliches, where the gays are a bunch of loud and ugly queens. Those days when most of gay people are gym oriented, in the movie they are skinny and hairy, or vulgar and fat, or short and weak, or everyting at the same time. Of course the only straight guy of the movie is the only one who is handsome and classy. Terribly homophobic, a must to avoid.

I saw this in the cineplex film night in Mannheim in french with german subtitles.

Lovable characters and the jokes are not pulled by the hair into the scenes (if the german proverb "bei den Haaren herbeigezogen" exists in english). Not comparable with the mainstream comedy movies - most of them american - I saw.

Needs captions to even understand what they saying.

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!

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.