IMDb > Any Way the Wind Blows (2003)

Any Way the Wind Blows (2003) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   1,503 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 8% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Tom Barman (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Any Way the Wind Blows on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
2 October 2003 (Netherlands) more
Genre:
Plot:
Sort of a low-budget Shortcuts, set in the Flemish port city of Antwerp on a warm day in June. Natalie... more | add synopsis
Awards:
2 wins & 2 nominations more
User Comments:
All they are is Dust in the Wind... more (25 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Frank Vercruyssen ... Walter
Diane De Belder ... Lara
Eric Kloeck ... Paul Garcin
Natali Broods ... Natalie
Matthias Schoenaerts ... Chouki
Dirk Roofthooft ... Firmin
Jonas Boel ... Frederique
Titus De Voogdt ... Felix
Sam Louwyck ... Windman
Annick Christiaens ... Elsie
Cedric Faes ... Charlie
Ides Meire ... Thomas
Louise Fimmers ... Julie
Katelijne Damen ... Grootmoeder
Diane Meersman ... Jessie
more
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Additional Details

Runtime:
Switzerland:127 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Belgium:KT | Netherlands:12 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The ring tones of the character's mobile phones are songs from dEUS (Director of the movie is Tom Barman, front man of dEUS). more

FAQ

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3 out of 5 people found the following comment useful.
All they are is Dust in the Wind..., 31 January 2008
4/10
Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls

What we have here is a classic case of TOO much patriotism. This is what happens when you live in a small country with very little (next to none, even) cinema history. Whenever somebody does come up with a slightly more ambitious film project – other than the usual dramas about struggling farmer families or long feature slapstick movies of local comedians – everybody feels obliged to love it and even responsible to spread favorable reviews across the countries' borders. This is especially the case when the writer/director of this particular film is already a nation's sweetheart, because he's also the founder and lead singer of a popular rock band. "Any Way The Wind Blows" is by no means a bad film, but it's definitely overrated (if that is even possible within the boundaries of a small country) and has absolutely nothing new or even remotely original to offer. This is basically the Flemish version of classic movies such as "Short Cuts" and "Magnolia" and illustrates a mosaic of characters whose daily lives initially appear to be unrelated but eventually come together in the end. The only thing that seems to unite the eight protagonists at first is the city of Antwerp, where they all live and work, but gradually the deeper relationships between them become transparent and near the climax they all gather for a party. The main problem with "Any Way The Wind Blows", at least according to yours truly, lies with the characters. They really are random, uninteresting and honestly don't experience anything that could be considered out of the ordinary. It was presumably writer/director Tom Barman's intention to depict the average & regular inhabitant of Antwerp but then, seriously, what is the point? One of the characters gets fired from his film projectionist job, another one is a failed novelist struggling with a marriage crisis, two siblings recently lost their father and the most "mysterious" one of them all is followed by the wind wherever he goes. There are a couple of more characters regularly walking through the screen, but they're even less worth mentioning. These people simply drivel on and on about very random topics (like life in the 80's, dates and each other's bowel motions) and philosophy about matters nobody cares about. Some of the dialogs do evoke mild chuckles, especially the interactions between the two twenty-something guys from Ghent, but still nothing extraordinary or even memorable. The film actually works best as a touristy video to promote the city of Antwerp and as an extended & versatile music documentary. There are several stylish & nifty sightseeing images of Antwerp and there's always beautiful music playing, whether really loud or subtly in the background. Generally speaking "Any Way The Wind Blows" is a competently made and stylish effort, but too mundane and slightly boring, and I honestly wonder most of its fans would even had bothered to watch if it weren't a Flemish production.

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Awful film! I LOVED it!! braemfrederik
Actors from dEUS music clips devilface111
Awesome Director! Barbie_N
why is this listed as 2002 release ? jonas_dg
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