Tony Fingleton (Neighbours alumnus Jesse Spencer) is desperate to please his domineering, alcoholic father Harold (Geoffrey Rush). When he discovers a knack for the backstroke, he thinks he'll finally get his dad's attention. But life isn't so easy when you're Swimming Upstream, and even though Harold becomes Tony's trainer, it takes more than a few swimming competitions to impress in this stylish true-life tale of the 50s Australian swimming champ.

However, this is not a simple stroy of pushy parent syndrome as the film opens out into a complex web of sibling rivalry. Harold has distinct favourites amongst his offspring and in the pool pits Tony against his younger brother and fellow swimming star John (Tim Draxl). The film becomes less about Tony, and more about the tensions between Harold and his sons, watched over by their long-suffering mother Dora (Judy Davis).

"A FAITHFUL AND ENGAGING PERIOD PIECE"

The early scenes of Anthony Fingleton's autobiographical script are dogged by clumsy character building, but once all the exposition is out of the way, there's solid drama to be enjoyed. Both Rush and Davis are as stunning as ever, but the biggest surprise is Highlander helmer Russell Mulachy's fluid direction. He's subtle in all the right places and packs a wallop during the swimming sequences with split-screen action which delivers a healthy dose of vitality to a faithful and engaging period piece.