A Bigger Splash

PLOT

In an isolated villa on the small Italian island of Pantelleria, world-famous rock singer Marianne Lane is on holiday with her filmmaker lover Paul De Smedt. She is recovering from surgery and has lost her voice, communicating only by signs and occasional whispers. He is in recovery from alcohol addiction and a suicide attempt. Neither speaks Italian and their togetherness is interrupted by uninvited visitors.

Harry Hawkes is an extroverted music producer who was Marianne's lover until he passed her on to his protégé, Paul. With him is Penelope "Pen" Lanier, a previously unknown daughter of his who says she is 22. Moving into the villa, Harry starts inviting friends around as if it were his home and taking everybody out to various sights and festivities. His arrogant manner bores Pen and annoys Paul, but Marianne starts falling under his spell again; however, when Harry and Marianne begin to become intimate, Marianne stops Harry. She tells him that she does love him, but that she cannot be with him and that she is with Paul. The sultry Pen then makes a play for the unhappy Paul; it is not shown, but implied, that Paul succumbs to Pen's overtures.

After drinking on his own, Harry comes back very late and starts a fight with Paul beside the pool. Both fall in, and the fight continues. Paul holds Harry underwater to subdue him, but Harry drowns. Realising his mistake, Paul pulls Harry to the surface and attempts to resuscitate him, but is unsuccessful and leaves Harry to drift to the bottom of the pool. In the morning, his corpse is seen by the maid, who calls the police. They have more urgent business with refugees landing from North Africa, some floating ashore dead, but take the occupants of the villa in for questioning. Marianne convinces them with the truth that she was asleep, and suggests that the murderer was an intruder. Paul lies, saying he went to bed before the time of death, and is believed. Pen eventually reveals that she can speak perfect Italian, but chose to let her hosts struggle, and her passport reveals that she is only 17. Paul is concerned that Pen may have witnessed his fight with Harry in the pool, but is unable to determine how much she knows, if anything. Paul tearfully admits to Marianne that he killed Harry but tried to save him. At the airport, as Pen is about to fly out, she tells Paul and Marianne something that refers to something Marianne once said to Harry. Visibly disturbed, Marianne slaps Pen. Pen maintains her composure until she is shown boarding the plane in tears unseen by Marianne and Paul who depart in their car. On the ride back to the villa, they are stopped by the police. It is the investigating officer, but rather than pursuing the case he reveals himself to be a fan of Marianne and wants her to autograph a CD. She obliges and returns to the car where she and Paul share their relief and drive away.

CAST

Tilda Swinton as Marianne Lane

Matthias Schoenaerts as Paul De Smedt

Ralph Fiennes as Harry Hawkes

Dakota Johnson as Penelope "Pen" Lanier

Lily McMenamy as Sylvie

Aurore Clément as Mireille

Elena Bucci as Clara

Corrado Guzzanti as Maresciallo dei Carabinieri

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

loosely based on the 1969 Jacques Deray film La Piscine and named after the 1967 David Hockney painting of the same name

 the second instalment in Guadagnino's self-described Desire trilogy, following I Am Love (2009) and preceding Call Me by Your Name (2017)