Individually, the men battle a bankruptcy, a failed musical career and overwhelming family responsibilities. Together, they find solace in the water, in the bar and in a postworkout sauna. Movies like this are always about friendship, not trophies; even so, the synchronized swimming World Championship beckons.

“Find your inner woman,” their equally troubled coach, Delphine (Virginie Efira), advises. So it’s off to Norway to compete against rival teams lethally armed with the washboard abs and ironclad buttocks we’ve all been waiting for. Speaking for myself (and possibly the attentive cinematographer), that finale was almost worth the wait.

Sink or Swim

Not rated. In French, English, Norwegian and Sinhalese, with subtitles. Running time: 2 hours 2 minutes.