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Jerry K Sees Verhoeven's BLACK BOOK At Toronto!!
Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.
I think we’ve had a few reviews of this one already, but word on a new Verhoeven film is always welcome. Love the trailer for this, and I’m praying for wicked decadent Verhoeven, the one I really like...
Hi Harry and crew,
Long time reader and all that. Since I couldn’t find any reviews of new Paul Verhoeven movie Zwartboek on the site I thought it would be nice if I sent you a review of the movie’s so-called pre-screening tonight (13th of September) in Amsterdam. If you're tired of Zwartboek reviews already, dump this one, writing this thing on its own was great fun.
I’m Dutch myself, so I might be a bit prejudiced about our own most famous movie auteur, still I know that in geek circles all over the globe still hold him in high regard, and I like to count myself among those geeks. So when I’m enthusiastic about his work you know where that comes from.
I was a bit weary going into this movie. On AICN I read talkbackers referring to this movie as ‘f*cked up Nazi sh*t’, and I was afraid they were expecting too much (or too little). Paul’s last foray into WWII history, Soldier of Orange was, while still unmistakeably a Verhoeven film, just about the most tame of his efforts. I was expecting more of that, and maybe even a bit tamer since the great man might have mellowed in his old(er) age.
During the first thirty minutes I thought I was going to be right. The Verhoeven themes we all know and love are all there (mostly religion and breasts, mostly female), but it seems like the movie’s just going through the motions, like another recent Dutch WWII drama, Twin Sisters. A good cast, an experienced crew, a sturdy script, lots of potential but nothing to add to standard wartime movie the message (‘War sucks’, basically).
But after a slow start Zwartboek truly comes into its own as a Verhoeven movie, mixing horror and humor, sensuality with terror, and before we know it the lines between good and evil are familiarly blurred. There’s not a whole lot of action, since there’s realism to consider and the movie’s budget, but when it comes it is shot clearly and energetically, always propelling the plot.
Futher on, people who thought Basic Instinct was pushing the limits on female nudity will blink a few times during scenes with the lovely Carice van Houten, who after a shaky start assumes her leading lady duties in a way reminiscent of Rutger Hauer and Jeroen Krabbé in the ‘70s Verhoeven movies, triumphing even over an unnatural blond haircolor that make her look iffy in the trailers (in my eyes at least).
The one major weak point I could discern after one viewing is the ‘recap dialogue’ in the middle of a series of plot twists, which insults the audience’s intelligence. You can even tell Van Houten en Derek de Lint or having trouble playing the scene.
Concluding, Zwartboek is a worthy entry into Verhoeven’s oeuvre, both as an auteur movie and as superior entertainment with true-ringing messages about trust, guilt and all the boring morality stuff that makes this movie OK to see with you parents. At least, that’s how it works with Verhoeven movies over here. And about the ‘f*cked up Nazi sh*t’: you’d be suprised, but it’s all there, present and correct, but not in the way you guys are expecting it.
If you use this, call me Jerry K.
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First maybe?
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Four firsts!
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"I sent you a review of the movie’s so-called pre-screening tonight (13th of September) in Amsterdam." Never knew Amsterdam was in Canada....
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No part is completely good or evil. We have a good Nazi and some questionable people from Resistance, even the main character has an elastic morality. Too bad, the movie suffers from pacing problems, with the ending coming 20 minutes after most of the story threads someway find resolution.
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Darn, I thought that was the easiest part of this review to understand. I was pretty hammered when I wrote it. Cool to see it up though, thanks Mori!
As far as I know this movie isn't even on the slate to be shown on the American continent, but I could be wrong. -
I hope this gets shown around the world. Verhoeven is a maniac, but I like that.
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Yes it's played i Toronto...with Verhoven sitting there watching it with us.
http://www.e.bell.ca/filmfest/2006/films_schedules/films_description.asp?id=45
Suck on that. -
I am from the Netherlands myself and I will see it this weekend. If I'm not mistaken, it opens wide today & it looks likes this is going to be huge here. (Verhoeven said in an interview last week that Carice van Houten is the most talented actress he ever worked with).
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She's very good in the movie and wonderfully naked.
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I agree with Jerry K, the movie is epic and very entertaining: lots of old fashioned action and suspense with that expert Verhoeven touch. Great acting and a fresh take on the old Mata Hari formula, it's a worthy companion piece to Soldier Orange, and definitely a huge relief after Hollow Man...
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I agree with Jerry K: the movie is epic and very entertaining, lots of good old fashioned suspense and action delivered by that expert Verhoeven hand. An exciting revision of the Mata Hari formula, Black Book is a worthy companion to Soldier of Orange, and a huge relief after Hollow Man...
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How about a little mention of WTF the movie is about for those who haven't been following it obsessively?
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You're right, I knew something was missing in this review.
In short, the movie is mostly about the Dutch resistance movement when Holland was occupied by Germany during WWII. The girl in the lead role finds her own special way to fill in her spying duties, involving tasteful nudity. -
Didn't mean to be snippy, but I've noticed lately that articles about movies often lack any mention of what they're about - just who's working on them and how well/badly they're going. That's great for the folks who "live" movies, but this aging fanboy for one can't keep track of everything floating through the development process.
Anyway... Always glad to hear about the nudity. -
Do have have to put in HTML to get a line break?
And what happened to my ? -
I'll figure out the syntax...
g>! -
test test
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