Swimming with Sharks

source: Swimming with Sharks

Found this film very entertaining and at the same time, it made me very upset with a Boss that would have driven me crazy. I doubt very much if I would have taken that kind of abuse, no matter what the salary was or how much I wanted to be a success in the Hollywood as a producer. Kevin Spacey( Buddy Ackerman),"The Tower of Babble",'02 did such a fantastic job of acting his horrible part as a boss, you were convinced he was a real person. Frank Whaley,(Guy) "A Good Night to Die",'03, was the poor slob who started out his new career under the wonderful supervisor, or Boss, Buddy Ackerman. Guy has no one to turn to except a very sexy and hot looking Michelle Forbes,(Dawn Lockard)," Perfume",01, who befriends him in more ways than one in bed and guidance to stand up to the Big Boss. Excellent film to sit back and enjoy, don't miss it.

Kevin Spacey, perhaps the finest actor on the planet, is brilliant as usual in his hilarious turn as Buddy Ackerman, one of the nastiest characters that you'll ever see anywhere on film. Sure, the whole cast is great, but it is Spacey who really shines, and he is the reason that this film works so well. Watch this movie if you want to laugh your head off, or if you simply want to see a legend in the making at the top of his game, yet again.

One man's opinion: -- About 15 minutes into the film, Frank Whaley's interpretation of Guy began to irritate me much like, say, paper cuts. The *constant* stammering, the *constant* downcasting of eyes, the *constant* facial ticks began to grate. Yeah, I understand that Guy is considered a "farm boy" from upstate New York but nothing led me to believe that he could go from a doormat to a cold-blooded killer during the course of, basically, one telephone call; -- BTW, if you're going to be a cold-blooded killer, knock off both of them; -- I liked Kevin Spacey's interpretation of Buddy. Absolutely despicable...but a possibly fun guy (no pun intended) to go have a beer with; -- Mr. Del Toro's performance was breathtakingly hilarious; -- Did not - for one second - believe the relationship between Guy and Dawn. Hollywood Producer (I'm holding my right hand very high in the air) dating laundromat-using Assistant (I'm holding my left hand very low to the ground); -- I am the absolute worse at guessing the endings of movies ("Bruce Willis was dead throughout the whole film? Really?") but I guessed this one almost immediately. I'm no Einstein but it appeared obvious to even my peanut-sized brain that the corpse in the beginning of the film wasn't Buddy. And then once a strong female lead was introduced...; -- Did I mention that Frank Whaley's performance irritated me?; -- Finally, "Pulp Fiction" was recently on cable and Mr. Whaley's performance - for what it's worth - was stunning. So much so that I went to IMDb.com, looked him up, found out what else he had appeared in and - through the miracle that is Netflix - rented "Swimming With Sharks". Once again, one man's opinion. Oh, I should mention that I'm an idiot, I don't understand movies, I make doo-doo in my pants, I shouldn't be allowed to reproduce, I am a ___________ (fill in your own insult!). Tim

While through the ages, many noteworthy motion pictures detailing the film industry itself have been made, the majority concentrated on a highly positive tone, portraying Hollywood as the organization which "brought dreams to life", or similar self serving platitudes. However, in the early 90s, a new trend began to emerge - films which delved below the glossy exterior of Hollywood and began to expose more negative aspects of the industry. One would be hard pressed to find as fitting an example of this Hollywood introspective neo- realism as writer/director George Huang's semi-autobiographical (but hopefully only to an extent...) Swimming With Sharks - a biting, cynical look at the interior of the film industry which challenges the preconceptions of the industry and its bleak aims. Like Robert Altman's The Player, Swimming with Sharks offers a harshly critical commentary on the corporate moneymaking machine that is Hollywood, but from the opposite end: the perspective of a low level assistant striving to rise in the ranks. However, similar to Altman's work, Huang's film dabbles with the notion of being a black comedy or darkly satirical take on the business end of the film industry, but ultimately lacks the acerbic wit needed to succeed on such a front. As such, while the occasional moment of darkly gleeful comedic insight may derived, for the most part, the film falters on attempted darkly ironic comedic moments which come across as too heavy handed to be truly funny. The film's main strength is in its strictly dramatic climax; its harrowing and powerful turn of events toying with notions of all consuming ambition and free will in a truly gripping fashion. Combined with a numbingly unexpected and chilling ending scene, the film's finale is easily its strongest point - enough so to carry the occasional botched comic moment from earlier in the film. However, Tom Heil's understated and affecting single piano score and the occasional moment of intriguing cinematography also add to the overall quality of the work. Kevin Spacey is the main pleasure to behold here as the film's main selling point, the "boss from Hell" figure Buddy Ackerman. Alternating between wryly funny, starkly powerful and disconcertingly human, Spacey, though disappointingly denied the ability to chew the scenery quite as much as one might hope for, easily walks away with the picture with his top notch work. Frank Whaley gives an adequate performance as the constantly put upon assistant who finally seeks revenge, though his character is given next to no development and Whaley lacks the engaging charisma needed to really sell the role. Michelle Forbes also comes across as disappointingly flat as an ambitious business woman caught between Spacey and Whaley, though she shines in certain scenes. Watch also for an early appearance by Benicio Del Toro in a tiny role as Whaley's predecessor. While it may falter as the black comedy it clearly wants to be throughout, the film excels as the harshly critical drama it becomes by the end. An undeniably maliciously enjoyable performance by Spacey keeps the film afloat, and while it may occasionally come across as lopsided or falling short of its potential, Swimming with Sharks keeps enough surprises up its proverbial sleeve to remain interesting throughout as a cynical treatise on ambition and the film industry which thrives upon it. -7/10

I was recommended this movie by one of my film-making friends, and was therefore expecting something good. Sadly, I was very disappointed by the first half -- ah, a movie about a wimp taking revenge on their a**hole boss, how original -- and watched the second half on fast forward hoping to find something that would justify the 45-odd minutes I'd already wasted. But all I got was the 'shock' ending... The basic problem is that this is a movie which seems unable to decide what it wants to say, and says whatever it does say (hard to tell what that is) badly. Great acting does not save a bad script full of characters I can't care about. Now maybe if I didn't moonlight in the movie industry I'd be shocked to discover the dumb politics and exploitation going on behind the screen, but as it is my feelings are as summed up above: 'Ho Hum'. 2/10... would have been 1/10 if it weren't for the acting and the paper cut scene.

(minor spoilers, but they're mostly about theme.) Tone, tone, tone. That's the problem with "Swimming With Sharks." A black comedy about revenge? That's what the box seems to indicate. A drama about losing one's soul in the Hollywood machinery? That's what the ending seems to say. In this case, doing both just doesn't work, not for me, anyway. The movie cruises along fine as a dark comedy in which the "boss from Hell" (Kevin Spacey) yells just one too many times at the young assistant (Frank Whaley) who happens to let loose his inner psycho. Then suddenly, there's this dramatic turn that comes out of nowhere, and dousing paper cuts with lemon juice and tabasco (don't worry, you'll understand) doesn't seem so much fun anymore. Sometime around this point I began to feel sorry for Kevin Spacey's character, which I don't think was the director's intention. And the ending is a complete mess. I don't buy it, and from having read many of the other comments, I'm not alone.

From Sunset Boulevard (1950) through to The Player (1992), the dark side of Hollywood has given up juicy material for filmmakers looking to bite the hand that feeds. Not that there is any secret to be revealed here - pretty much everything you need to know about the soulless, spirit-crushing side of movie-making is contained in Raymond Chnadler's 1945 essay "Writer's in Hollywood", which contains more horror than any of the celluloid parodies it has since inspired. Swimming with Sharks is the tale of innocent Guy (a freshly scrubbed Frank Whaley), whose monster boss is tinsel town king-maker Buddy Ackerman, a screaming, mood-shifting bully who dangles just enough opportunity before Guy to keep him on his leash. But payback is due, and comes in spades. It is all very dark and delicious, and Spacey gets to rip loose as the psycho boss, the joke being that it is his very lack of sanity and compassion that allows him to thrive in the business. Love interest is supplied by producer Dawn (Michelle Forbes), who allows Guy to stay grounded as he negotiates his way to the top. Dawn and Guy show us that even in Hollywood true love can conquer all - or can it? It is received wisdom that movies about movies don't travel very well. Swimming with Sharks is about delusion and corruption, and how much the human spirit can take. It just happens to be set in Hollywood, but Buddy Ackerman could be Gordon Gecko in a different market. Worth watching to see Spacey enjoying himself in a role where he gets to say pretty much whatever he likes, and does so with relish.

Today, when kevin spacey has enough recognition and reputation that won't be tampered even if he'll star on "baywatch" for the rest of his life - my praises won't mean much. spacey is a superb actor, no doubt about it. but for frank whaley, appearences in the "right" films (natural born killers, born in the 4th of july, pulp fiction) as well as a undisputable talent did not turn him to a reknowned actor - which only goes to show that no matter how good you are, in most cases success is a luck depandant variable. On with the movie, the story of an ambitious youngster who wishes to engage in a key role of the film industry and starts to work as an assistant for a completely manipulating, ungreatful, demeaning movie producer george huang (the writer and director) could come up with. the movie begins with guy (frank whaley) kidnapping buddy ackerman in his own house and concurrently whit guy's act of abuse to his hated boss, unfolds the story of a young kid with high hopes who was entangled both in the cynic world of his women loving, hair losing boss and in a relationship with a struggling movie producer - dawn (michelle forbes- now on "homicide - life on the streets"). the movie continues up to the point where guy has to decide which of those worlds to choose and now i won't add anything in fear of disclosing the end (and its unpredictable no matter which option you chose) the movie is a complete delight and all i can say is - this may not be the best film you ever seen but it will sure leave enough of an impression to more than justify the two hours of your leisure time. 9 out of 10 in my scale

Powerful movie that shows the nastier, more foul-mouthed side of Hollywood. Guy, played by Whaley, is a Hollywood rookie with no real experience but some lofty goals. The movie charts his learning of the ways of Hollywood through becoming an assistant for fastidious big-shot producer Buddy Ackerman (Spacey), and his subsequent unlearning of the 'normal' moral values that apply almost anywhere else. A remarkable performance from Spacey who is by turns searingly offensive, scathingly funny and (funnily enough) vividly human. Making an audience feel for such a revolting character is a feat not many could accomplish, but Spacey's up to the task. Frank Whaley (possibly known to you through a bit part in 'Pulp Fiction') also turns in a very strong performance as the disillusioned young assistant who falls in love (or rather, in bed) with a female producer played by the sultry Michelle Forbes. Spacey and Whaley's interplay in key scenes is riveting, and for the most part, the younger Whaley manages to stay out of Spacey's shadow. The movie's ending is quite unforeseeable, and its message can be construed either as darkly humorous satire against Hollywood, or as a nihilistic comment on the ways of mankind. Judging by the not-so-humorous tone of the movie (though ludicrously enough it was marketed as a comedy), to me it feels like the latter applies. Definitely worth seeing, even if only for Spacey. 8/10