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j-bouwmeester
Reviews
Simon (2004)
Convincing movie with a lot of humor and emotions
This movie is about a wide variety of emotions, topics and people. The dialogs are brilliant. Simon has a hilarious sense of humor, but his character, like the others in the movie, is still very well portrayed. All typical dutch subjects like gay-marriage, soft-drugs, euthanasia, etc., are handled in a way that it is still convincing. The last part, where euthanasia becomes the main topic, is where the movie rises above a good comedy and becomes a great comedy/drama instead. The acting in the last part is so brilliant that it almost feels like it is shot for real.
Certainly a movie to recommend, and I think that even when it is translated (with a possible loss of dialog)it is still a movie worth seeing! But see a subtitled version and not a synchronized voice-over version, for the latter will be terrible
Closer (2004)
Distanced...
I had high expectations of this movie. Probably too high. The visuals are very good and the acting is also pretty nice, but the story just doesn't get me acquainted with any of the characters. The movie did not offend me in any way but, like it did with some people, but it didn't attract me either. The movie consists of some fragments of a sad love story, but the viewer is very distanced from these events.
I think the high ranking is mostly based on the good acting and the 'arty-cultural'overvalue that these kind of movies seem to get. Criticists are scared of being criticized as less cultural than those who 'liked' it. If you are one of them who says that this movie is very good, ask yourself if you really liked it or think you should like it! 5/10
Spinning Boris (2003)
Spinning History
This is a nice political comedy. Three American election-consultants are hired to help Boris Jeltsin to win Russia's first free election. Jeltsin's daughter is the campaign leader and speaks for her father. Though the three consultants never meet Jeltsin in person, this gap is nicely filled with archive material of the real election campaign in 1996. The movie begins with the statement 'based on a truth story'. I strongly doubt this story is authentic, but it is plausible though.
Jeff Goldblum is the real star in this movie and some non-hollywood details, like the fact that some Russians don't speak English (so there is a lot of Russian language in the movie), are very nice and make this movie an above-average one. Watch it if you like satire and are not afraid of politics!