Swimming with Men

Rob Brydon leads a motley crew who pool their resources as part of a synchronised swimming team, in this buoyant feelgood comedy.

Eric (Rob Brydon) is a middle-aged man seemingly at a juncture in his life. Estranged from his wife and with no real friends to speak of, he decides at a stroke to join a male synchronised swimming team. What begins as a way to meet new friends soon becomes more momentous when the group is entered into the world championships in Milan.

Rob Brydon here revels in a all-too rare leading film role, playing somewhat against type as a staid accountant. But it's the support team who add the decorative touch, with a backup including Daniel Mays, Jim Carter, Adeel Akhtar and Thomas Turgoose. While echoes of The Full Monty resound knowingly, Swimming with Men is in a lane of its own; in particular with its serious undercurrent stressing the importance of middle-aged men looking after their physical and mental health.