Frank Perry's The Swimmer is a surreal film drama that depicts the demise of the American dream in impressive images. Burt Lancaster shines as Ned Merrill, a charismatic but increasingly enraptured suburban man who turns up at a friend's pool on a summer's day with an unusual idea: He wants to "swim his way home" through a chain of swimming pools across the affluent suburban neighborhood.

What begins as a slightly eccentric odyssey turns into a profound, sometimes disturbing journey through Ned's own past, social facades and broken relationships. With each stop at a different pool, another crack in Ned's self-image is revealed: memories blur, encounters with once close confidants are distant or hostile. Reality and illusion become increasingly blurred as Ned's journey heads towards a disturbing truth about his own life and his family.

With powerful images, atmospheric music and an impressive leading role, The Swimmer is a timeless psychological drama about desires, repression and the tragic failure of one's own self-image - a truly unusual cinematic experience.