10s Movie Review - De Liefhebbers

Director: Anna van der Heide
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Jeroen Krabbé, Hadewych Minis, Theo Maassen, Beppie Melissen, Sanne Samina Hanssen, Rebecca de Nooijer, Jelka van Houten, Guy Clemens, Linde van der Storm, Aiko Beemsterboer

Description: When they are confronted with the disease of the father of the family (Jeroen Krabbé), all members of the Liefhebber family have to face their fears, faults and their troubled interrelationships.

Review: There’s so much going on in “De Liefhebbers” that you’d almost forget what the film is about: how the dad’s Alzheimer’s brings the family closer together.
There is never a good time for bad news, but in this multiple storyline film the disease that Jan has comes at the worst of times for his children. Jan’s growing forgetfulness is by no means the only crisis in the family.
Son Kasper is struggling is facing a marriage crisis, because as a busy architect he ignores his wife Laura and their four children for years. So when Kasper forgets Laura’s birthday, she suddenly takes off, leaving him alone with the four kids. The youngest of the Liefhebbers, Maria, suddenly has the biological father of her seven-year-old daughter on her doorstep. She never told anyone who her father was. Eldest son Jonathan is struggling with his homosexuality and allows no one but his cats into his life. And eldest daughter Sam lives alone in London.
The film has a strong ensemble cast and there is nothing wrong with the overall story. But there is way too much going on in a rather short amount of time. They are each dealing with their own problems and some of the individual storylines don’t execute well. Simply because too much has to be done in the limited runtime of the film. There is not enough time to develop each character properly and theirs storylines suffer from it as well.
The film didn’t succeed in telling the family’s story entirely, it only worked for a few characters. Only the storylines of Kasper and Maria have been done okay, although Kasper’s storyline eventually rushes too. But Sam and Jonathan, who I found the most interesting characters at first, we hardly get to know them and their storylines (especially Sam’s) are neglected.
“De Liefhebbers” could have been so much more, if they had just taken more time to tell the story in. That’s a shame.

Rating: 2,5 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 112: Mannenharten

Director: Mark de Cloe

Genre: Romance/ Comedy

Runtime: 100 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Daan Schuurmans, Barry Atsma, Jeroen Spitzenberger, Teun Kuilboer, Jon van Eerd, Georgina Verbaan, Fabian Jansen, Katja Herbers, Liliana de Vries, Hadewych Minis, Kim Feenstra, Ton Kas, Sanne Vogel, Thekla Reuten

Description: Following the love lives of different types of men in Amsterdam.

Review: In the Dutch romcom “Mannenharten” we don’t meet women who doubt their love life, but six men who struggle with themselves and problems with love.

With so many protagonist in one film, director Mark de Cloe got together some of the most well-known Dutch actors. But none of these actors get the chance to give their character a deeper personality, because we constantly switch from one storyline to another.

The chaotic Wouter never had a real goal in life. Now life is even more complicated when his girlfriend appears to be pregnant. Womanizer Daan can get all the women in the world, but was in love only once. Tim is about to marry his high school sweetheart, but starts doubting if this is it. Frank screwed up his relationship with Susanne and really wants her back. But she falls for the clumbsy Niels.

Although “Mannenharten” has so many storylines, it never gets complicated. It’s pleasant to watch, but it’s all a bit too simple. And predictable and cliché. I don’t mind cliché, if it’s done well, but that’s not the deal here.

“Mannenharten” is nothing unique, but it’s not dull either. It’s a fun watch, but never gets above average.

Rating: 2,5/ 5