Today’s quick review: Swimming with Sharks. Guy (Frank Whaley), a Hollywood neophyte, is pushed to his breaking point when he takes a job as the assistant to Buddy Ackerman (Kevin Spacey), an abusive movie executive. His dreams of making it big in the industry are put to the test by Buddy’s insults, disrespect, and impossible standards. Guy must choose between his career and a developing relationship with Dawn Lockard (Michelle Forbes), a movie producer who urges him to get out from under Buddy’s thumb.
Swimming with Sharks is an unusual drama about the film industry and its effects on people. Guy’s eagerness to please runs aground on Buddy’s bad attitude, and Guy is left searching for some trace of humanity in an inhuman boss. The setup feels like a comedy, but it plays out like a drama, in spite of the absurd nature of Buddy’s criticisms. Kevin Spacey delivers a memorable performance as Buddy Ackerman, a character with just enough complexity to cause the viewer to question just what kind of man he is.
Swimming with Sharks does build to some interesting themes about ambition, sacrifice, and self-respect, but it lacks the plot to fully explore them. The story is told thorugh a series of flashbacks, but the only events of note take place in the present. The flashbacks chronicle the early days of Guy’s employment, the birth of his romance with Dawn, and his acclimatization to working for Buddy, but they are more a series of interactions than proper events. As a result, Guy seems to drift as a character rather than undergoing a concrete transformation.
Watch Swimming with Sharks if you are a fan of Kevin Spacey. The dynamic between Buddy and Guy is iconic, and the writing has a couple of smart moments. But the movie wanders instead of telling a concrete story, and the tone is caught awkwardly between a comedy and a drama. For those willing to overlook its faults for its virtues, Swimming with Sharks is a decent watch. For those looking for the complete package, skip it.
7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for good characters held back by a poorly-constructed plot.