it's a movie about an dumb alien

I haven't read the book this film was based on, but while watching, this movie looks to me like a melodrama about a horny alien who can't stand his wife's cancer. The actors do their best, Carice van Houten is strong and has some amazing little moments, Jeroen Willems does good work, leading actor Barry Atsma lacks leading man's strength and he's misdirected.

And there lies the problem, first-time director Oerlemans doesn't film this all like a drama or comedy or whatever, his camera doesn't seem to be really interested in the characters. It's all snaps and bits, like if the makers have seen Saturday Night Fever (a good movie) and want to make a videoclip out of it. Fancy shots and montage, cool pretenses, but they're clichés without depth or notion. Sad music when the lead feels lowest after a car crash, it's laughable mickey-mousing. I have no problems with bad, stupid or self-denying characters, but give me a chance to dive into them, let the camera help me to know them, know them more than they know themselves.

No chance here. Too bad about the actors and the interesting themes (some very personal to me).

(edit:) Barry Atsma does his very best, but Carice is too strong an actress for him (in dutch language territory). A stronger actor would have been a more interesting match, as well as a stronger director. Oerlemans fared better with his pretenseless and entertaining Nova Zembla.




"I don't discriminate between entertainment
and arthouse. A film is a goddam film."