Swimming With Men had the potential to be funny but with unbelievable characters and storylines – it’s a sinker

Rob Brydon stars as down on his luck Eric who, in this over-familiar feel-good Brit flick, is a man suffering from a mid-life crisis who joins a male synchronised swimming gang - with almost hilarious results.

Bolstered by a strong supporting cast of Rupert Graves, Charlotte Riley and Adeel Akhtar - Swimming with Men should be a lot better than it is - it’s aiming to be considered in the same vein as your Billy Elliots and Full Montys but lacks the one crucial element, jeopardy.

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In both those films, the hearts of the nations were won because we were fully invested in the plight of the hero.

Gaz was crippled by unemployment and desperate to win the respect and love of his son, Billy risksed his relationship with his fierce father in order to follow his unorthodox dream - but here... well it’s just a load of blokes slightly fed up.

The mid-life crisis is more of a prat-fall - Eric imagines his wife to be having an affair.

She isn’t.

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So he moves out. It’s impossible to invest your time in a character who’s quite so unbelievable.

It’s an unusual misstep for Brydon.

I wish I could be kinder, but in a film about graceful swimming - most involved look like
they're drowning.

Swimming with Men, 97mins (12A)

★★☆☆☆