How does this have such a high rating?

My thoughts exactly! It appeared to be a classic case of a good idea made too complicated, thus creating messy sub-plots and a severe lack of subtlety. Any possible intellectual elements were diminished by the emptiness of the storytelling. There was a reluctance for honest editing in the hope that convenient plot twists would continue to drag out a wasted character study.

"It's all in the beans ... and I'm just full of beans."

I fully agree with you OP, I felt the same way when the movie was over. But remember, this is Roskam's first feature film. He has only directed three shorts prior to this.. and that was 6 years ago. He's still on a learning curve.

I liked it at the end, when Diedrick and Jacky where standing there in the dark. The man pretending not to be gay and the man pretending to have testicles, the arkwardness, both unable to live a life, you are reminded of their childhood, a few years of happiness and that everything afterwards was pain, desperation and loneliness.

I will now end this debate with you.

Dierdrik being gay clearly does have a point. Jacky's clear desire to have children was shown several times therefore it could be seen as ironic that Dierdrik escaped Jacky's cruel fate but was gay. I am not saying a gay man has any less need of his testicles than a straight man or indeed may not have the desire to have children but I think the point was to emphasise one more loss to Jacky's life that could be considered less of a loss to Dierdrik.

Diederik being gay had nothing to do with the fact that he told Jacky that the police was coming, he just did it because he felt remorse because of the fact that he couldn't testify to the police for what Bruno did to Jacky when they were kids.

The fact that Bruno was in such a bad mental state made the story so much more deep because it showed that Jacky couldn't have revenge, it would've been much easier for us -as viewers- to see Jacky get revenge because we sympathized with him.

But because of Bruno's poor mental state that revenge couldn't have been achieved. This is linked to the recurring theme of the inachievable for Jacky. He can't have kids, he can't have sexual relations because of his complexion, he can't have revenge, etc. and the things that would help him get out of his situation are taken from him : Lucia would understand him because she was indirectly linked to the accident, he thinks that she's the only female option for him, but again she is taken away from him, once by Vincent (the guy that interrupts them) and at the end she herself takes her distances from him, this is what leads him to "end" his life.

I think that you can't fully understand this movie if you didn't grow up in Belgium though.

In response to the OP's question, cause it's a *beep* awesome and unique movie. That's why. Hell 7.4 is too low a score for this movie.

" No one in the world is called Omar Sharif! I shall call you Fred... "

you have vastly misunderstood this film. its not about plot its abour the life of Jacky and what he goes through when his horrible past comes back to haunt him. The subplots donmt matter because at its core this film is about Jacky. Everything that happenes is necessary for the audience to fully grasp Jacky's characteristics. This isn't a movie that you just sit back and watch. You have to pay attention to the intricacies. All the things you say are pointless actually all serve a purpose. Jacky beating up the guy fromthe club who interrupted his conversation with Lucia shows that his feelings from his childhood are still there and still very raw to him. He doesn't beat up Bruno when he finds him in the mental hospital because he knows it won't be worth it. Bruno is already damaged enough. Any further damage he would inflict on him would be like beating a dead horse. Deirdik being gay is just part of who he was. It was part of his character and again you seem to have misunderstood that this film is about CHARACTERS! He got mad and told Jacky about the swat team because he was tired of getting *beep* around by the police. he told them the truth (that jacky wasn't involved in the murder) and they didn't seem to care. And I think he became privy to the fact that Antony was *beep* him around and leading him on so out of impulse he goes to warn Jacky. Maybe he did it because he felt he owed it to Jacky. The hormone mafia was not central to the story it was just what reconnected the dots between Jacky and Deredik. It faded into the background because Jacky stops associating with them. He never wanted to from the beginning because he knew they were bad news. Lucia calling the cops on him when he shows up MAKES SENSE because she knows he beat up the guy at the club and put him into a coma. It works because Jacky doesn't know that she knows that. And Jacky getting shot and killed after attacking the cops on his overdose works because Jacky wanted it to go down that way. He knew that he wouldn't last in jail without his hormones and after that conversation with Lucia he has given up. He wanted to die which is why he assaulted the officers.

You need to learn how to watch films, dude hahaha PAY ATTENTION when you watch a movie! That way everything will make sense! Its really that easy.

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