10s Movie Review - Bumperkleef

Director: Lodewijk Crijns
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 85 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Jeroen Spitzenberger, Anniek Pheifer, Roosmarijn van der Hoek, Liz Vergeer, Willem de Wolf, Truus te Selle, Hubert Fermin, Tim Linde, Peter Blankenstein

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 1: A MOVIE IN A LANGIAGE OTHER THEN ENGLISH
 
Description: A cocksure, road-raging family man (Jeroen Spitzenberger) finds himself pursued and terrorized by the vengeful van driver (Willem de Wolf) he chooses to tailgate.  

Review: The film opens with a classic overview shot. A mowed, obviously Dutch wheat field; a man in a cycling uniform with a bicycle on his shoulder. Anxious, extremely anxious. Running, half stumbling. This man clearly fear for his life. A unpleasant fate is awaiting.
Later we meet Hans, his wife Diana and their tow daughter Robine and Milou. They are on their way to Hans’ parents, but obviously a bit later on the road then Hans wanted to be. Because he wants to get there quickly, he starts racing the highway. When, on the road, they end up driving behind a white van that doesn’t want to make way for them, Hans decides to tailgate him. But that was a bad idea.
“Bumperkleef” is a very fast-paced thriller, with enough exciting elements to keep you invested the entire runtime. Which is only 85 minutes, making it the perfect length for a movie like this. Besides Jeroen Spitzenberger, the acting is a bit flat and the movie could have also worked without to much dialogue.
“Bumperkleef” is a fun, no-nonsense thriller that can be easily enjoyed without having to thnk too much.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

10s Movie Review: Hartenstrijd

Director: Janice Pierre
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 93 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Jennifer Hoffman, Tibor Lukács, Eva van de Wijdeven, Oscar Aerts, Georgina Verbaan, Anniek Pheifer, Loek peters, Willeke Alberti, Cees Geel, Murth Mossel

Description: A lovelorn police officer (Jennifer Hoffman) and a womanizing bar owner (Tibor Lukács) get into a romantic game of cat and mouse as they both attempt to take their love lives in new directions.

Review: Romcoms mostly follow a certain path. Lovebirds trying to be noticed by the other, they find each other, due to a misunderstanding they lose each other and eventually they end up together. And that final moment is often during a dramatic race against time. This is the format it apparently needs, but it’s the execution and its details that makes the difference. In the Dutch romantic comedy “Hartenstrijd”, we follow a bet which will bring two different characters closer together.
Tina is a motor cop, who believes in true and eternal love and always hopelessly clings herself to men. When her boyfriend breaks up with her, her world crashes and Tina claims she is done with serious relationships. She moves in with her best friend Fleurtje and makes a bet with her that she won’t be in any serious relationships for at least a year. Tina thinks she can do the ‘no strings attached’ routine and have meaningless sex with men without getting feelings. So she starts to casually date Sven, a guy that is known for his smooth talking and sleeping with women without dating them or let alone be in a relationship with them. Sven just made a bet with his best friend Dennis, that he can go on five dates with the same woman without having sex with her. And Tina is his project.
The whole idea behind “Hartenstrijd” is the big difference between Sven and Tina, how they view love, relationships and dating. And this movie is, like most romcoms, very predictable. A lot of tossing and turning between the two, before eventually reaching its core. Tina and Sven are very stereotypical, almost caricature like. Tina is a dull and clumsy woman, who can’t live without a man in her life. Sven is a playboy, who objectifies women. Jennifer Hoffman and Tibor Lukács are both not very comfortable in their roles somehow. It’s the supporting characters that catch your eye. Like Eva van de Wijdeven as Fleurtje, I loved her sass. And Aniek Pheifer as Sven’s pregnant friend, giving him advice wherever she can. And I really enjoyed the scenes with Tina and her co colleagues.
If the roles were a bit more realistic, you could actually care about the leading characters. “Hartenstrijd” has its moments, it’s not all bad. But it’s the small jokes and moments. It’s not cohesive and feels unfinished.

Rating: 2/ 5