Swimming With Sharks (UK)

Buy this disc for 2 reasons: a great performances by the 3 cast members, and a rarely heard honest commentary by the director. Firstly the film. We start at the end and work backwards. Our main character is Guy (played by Frank Whaley), the assistant to Executive Vice President of Production at Keystone Pictures Buddy Ackerman (based on uber producer Joel Silver) played by Kevin Spacey. We meet Buddy on Guy`s first day as the departing assistant tells him how to survive the hourly insults by the tyrant boss. This leads into the great Sweet and Low scene which sets out how far Kevin Spacey is willing to go to show you he means business. The movie then jumps backward and forwards showing us how mistreated guy is on the journey to a career in the movies. We then meet Dawn, a producer who needs Buddy to make her film. She becomes Guy`s bit on the side in her attempt to get the mopvie made. The message behind the movioe, as i see it, is to show hpw far people are willing to go to get to the top, with little concern for those who they have to step on and abuse to get there. The parallel story is Guy snapping and doing what most of us would love to do to our bosses.
The acting is superb and detracts from the lacklustre
appearance of the movie. A great story and some memorable lines, shame it isn`t better known.

Next comes the commentary. George Huang opens up by saying it took him 7 years to fight to get a commentary made, he offered to pay for it himself but finally was given the opportunity during the dvd`s second release. During the 90 minute commentary he gives us the inside scoop on what the actors were like, where his experiences as the abused assistant came from. He name drops Joel silver, John Mctiernan and Robert Rodrigues to name a few. And gives us details from the daily production of the 17 day shoot. This is by far trhe most revealing commentary that I have heard and am glad to have purchased the dvd for that alone. He is passionate about his first and best film to date, it is a shame he has gone on to commercial rubbish. Long live the independents!