An irksome but watchable movie. The story is not a story that will resonate with traditional married couples. Palm Swings orbits around the premise that marital relationships can be enhanced or strengthened by mutually sanctioned infidelities. This is the default premise of the movie that is never (really) challenged. The drama in Palm Swings does not stem from the act of swapping partners but from one partner concealing the continuance of a previously sanctioned hookup. The character Allison has no character. She peeks in windows, is accommodating to sexual advances from pretty much anyone, lies, cheats and deceives. Allison's husband Mark is a college professor who has little or no relationship situational awareness. Though his reaction after Allison's unsanctioned infidelities is spot-on ... essentially how any reasonably intelligent spouse would react to cheating, his behavior at the onset of swapping and in accepting Allison back after the affair is baffling. Initially Mark sets the stage for trouble when he doesn't establish swapping ground rules and boundaries with Allison (assuming that realistic ground rules and boundaries can be established for blowing up your marriage). In the final scene Allison tells Mark she's sorry for not telling him about the affair along with a soliloquy of love and fidelity-based declarations. Mark reservedly accepts Allison back but is seeming oblivious to the fact that she did not say she was sorry for having an affair.
Palm Swings
2017
Action / Comedy / Drama / Romance
Plot summary
Married couple Allison and Mark Hughes moving into their new Palm Springs home. Claire and Jim Ericson are their charismatic new neighbors. Claire, a sensual ex-model, and Jim, a music producer, embody the passionate marriage that Allison wants. Unable to sleep one night, Allison spies with her camera a woman arriving to meet Jim next door. Allison investigates and discovers their neighbors are swingers. She and Mark get more than they bargained for when their wild adventures threaten to destroy their marriage.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
About that Ending
Ups and Downs
Not going to win any awards for great acting, but it did highlight the effects being a "swinger" can have on a Couples relationship.
The tackling of that issue came across in a believable way
Swing and a Big Miss
Not dirty enough to be even remotely erotic and not serious enough to be an engaging drama--this unique orphan is like a bad softcore porno, without the porn. So it just lies there. Sadly there are some real actors here trying to act but only reminding us of better days and much better projects: Diane Farr was great in Denis Leary's crazy TV show, "The Job" and her husband here is played a buddy to Christian Bale in the electrify and underseen "Harsh Times"
To piggyback on what another commenter said, this meandering mess is truly only good for one thing: If you find yourself awake at 2 am, start watching and you'll be back in dreamland by 3.