Phileine zegt sorry (2003)

Director:

Robert Jan Westdijk

Writers:

Ronald Giphart (novel)
Robert Jan Westdijk (writer)

Release Date:

9 October 2003 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy | Romance

Plot:

A Dutch girl is getting sick of always losing her boyfriends, so when she loses her newest "gain" she...

Plot Keywords:

Taxi | Restaurant | Female Nudity | Male Full Frontal Nudity | Weatherman

Awards:

5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Kim van Kooten	...	Phileine
Michiel Huisman	...	Max
Hadewych Minis	...	Gulpje
Tara Elders	...	Lala
Kenan Raven	...	LT
Mads Wittermans	...	Christiaan
Leona Philippo	...	Joanne
Liesbeth Kamerling	...	Fleur
Roeland Fernhout	...	Jules
Kurt Rogiers	...	Reginald
Daan Schuurmans	...	Dylan
Liz Snoyink	...	Lotti, the mother
Timothy Smith	...	Leonard
Russ Russo	...	Filippe
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yuklin Ahue	...	Ruth (as Yuuklin Ahyue)
Ian Bok	...	Nieuwslezer 4
Colton Dunn	...	Nieuwslezer 5
Viktor Durkevich	...	Taxichauffeur 1
Ian Elliot	...	Ober Katz
Michael John Fedun	...	Buk
Ronald Giphart	...	Ronald
Alex Klaasen	...	Lelijke Jongen
Kevin Llewellyn	...	Rapper
Miriam Lucia	...	Nieuwslezer 6
Rob Michels	...	Student
Arian Moayed	...	Taxichauffeur 2 (as Arian Maayed)
Rob Andrist Plourde	...	Interviewer (as Rob Andrisplourde)
Todd Rotondi	...	Bef
Joshua Rubin	...	Receptionist
Gregory Shapiro	...	Nieuwslezer Bill Majors (as Greg Shapiro)
Dani Sher	...	Nieuwslezer 3
Nadia van de Ven	...	Dubbing
Robijn Wendelaar	...	Nieuwslezer Kate Macahahan
Yolande	...	Zangeres

Also Known As:

Phileine Says Sorry

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

Netherlands | USA

Language:

Dutch | English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Japan:R-18 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:R21

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

Motel Films

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: At the end, when Phileine runs towards Max at the AIDS benefit, the singer of the band is the background isn't doing anything although we *do* hear the band perform.

Quotes:

Max: I've had enough of you.
Phileine: Impossible. I gave you nothing.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "PaPaul: (#1.3)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

I'm Sorry

Quick, witty, catchy but also unemotional and flat.

Sex sells. That is something Dutch author Ronald Giphart is very well aware of. This was evident in the first filmed novel by the author: 'Ik Ook Van Jou' but even more in 'Phileine Zegt Sorry' (Phileine Says Sorry).

The original novel is hilarious, quick, witty, from a female perspective, but written by a heterosexual male author. The novel is full of quick one-liners and so is this move ('I believe in sex at first sight' and 'We don't care you have a low self-esteem, just don't bother us with it').

The thing is a quite weak story as 'Phileine' demands a quick witty approach, which Robert-Jan Westdijk (the director) seems to be perfectly able at. He seems to have understood what the story is all about: Phileine, a super-bitch, follows her boyfriend Max to New York, where she finds out about the rather exclusive approach he's giving to Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'.

Although the movie is quick it has quite some flaws. Westdijk doesn't take enough time to finish off some crucial scenes. The final scene has been handled off quite fast and almost messy and the movie really lacks emotion at times. Westdijk doesn't seem to wanna fall in the pit called 'false sentiment' but in stead of carefully avoiding it he doesn't seem to use any of it in 'Phileine'. To be perfectly honest one wouldn't care less whether or not Phileine regains the love of Max or how she handles it. She's a bitch, so she'll survive and go on with her live.

Kim van Kooten however is perfectly cast and throws in the one-liners one at a time from scratch. Michiel Huisman may be nice to look at (all pumped up) but is rather disappointing as the flat character of Max. This is also due to his rather poor acting qualities. Roeland Fernhout's part as the androgynous Jules is unforgettable and could have used deserved more screen time.

The novel already makes use of too many character with their individual story-lines that push away the main story-line: the one between Phileine and Max, but in the movie this gets annoying at points.

Fortunately Westdijk's quick approach makes up for a lot but not for everything. 'Sometimes the movie is just better than the movie', says author Giphart in a cameo (please no more cameos in any of his movies!). I am afraid I have to disagree with him. But then again: is the movie ever better than the novel?

Still 'Phileine Zegt Sorry' speeds up hope for the Dutch movie industry (especially now that governmental finance has been abolished) and especially for Dutch rom-coms.