Cloaca (TV 2003)

Four old college friends in their forties come together in a time of trouble and despair. Old joy relives, but the harsh reality of their problems can't satisfy them and eventually endangers their friendships.

Director:

Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen

Writers:

Maria Goos (play), Maria Goos (screenplay)

Stars:

Peter Blok, Pierre Bokma, Gijs Scholten van Aschat

5 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Blok	...	Tom
Pierre Bokma	...	Pieter
Gijs Scholten van Aschat	...	Joep
Jaap Spijkers	...	Maarten
Elsie de Brauw	...	Conny
Caro Lenssen	...	Laura
Marleen Stolz	...	Helena (as Marleen Stoltz)
Eric Schneider	...	Brest
Genio De Groot	...	Jacques Vermeulen (as Genio de Groot)
Marcel Hensema	...	Lighting designer
Jeroen Spitzenberger	...	Actor in play
Benjamin de Wit	...	Actor in play
Marnix Stassen	...	Percussionist
Dianne Krijnen	...	Colleague
Iwan Walhain	...	Drug courier on moped

Storyline

The relationship of four old college friends in trouble is renewed when they get dependent on each other. Pieter doesn't want to give back eight valuable paintings he took from the art depot of the municipality for each year as a birthday present. To help him, he requests the help from Tom, once a lawyer, but now a drug addict. Politician Joep, quarrelling with his wife and in the race for becoming a member of the Dutch cabinet, is hiding at Pieter's place. Joep's daughter is actress in a play of stage director Maarten. Secretly Maarten is having sex with her and he is looking for an opportunity to tell. For some time the friendship of the four is revived, but are they willing to go through fire and water for one another?

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Plot Keywords:

friendship | college friend | birthday | drug addict | sex | 

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Genres:

Drama | Comedy

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Details

Official Sites:

A-Film [nl] official site [nl]

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch Russian English

Release Date:

23 October 2003 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Cloaca - Alte Freunde

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company Credits

Production Co:

IDTV Film, AVRO Television, CoBo Fonds

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie is based on the successful stage play with the same name, also written by Maria Goos. The four main actors are the same as in the theatre version.

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Quotes

Tom: For a moment I play the devil's advocate. If I was the municipality I'd sue you.
Pieter: Why?
Tom: Embezzlement.
Joep: Embezzlement?
Tom: Yes.
Pieter: But you're not the devil's advocate, you're my lawyer.
Joep: But, I really can't have that, Piet. In a week I am minister. A gay okay, but an embezzling gay really is impossible.

User Reviews

One of the best Dutch movies ever (if not, THE best)

The play "Cloaca" was, in the year 2002, one of the most succesful plays of that year. And because of the fact that in Holland, we don't have lots of issues we want to film, 'they' decided to make a movie of "Cloaca", with the same (great) actors as in th play. 'They' succeeded. The movie is one of the best Dutch movies ever, if not THE best, I'm still thinking of calling it that. The story is about a group of men, who are all 40 years old. Back when they were students, they were best friends, but after several years, the relation between these men went down hill. One of the guys, Pieter (Pierre Bokma), has a problem, and to solve this problem he needs the help of his friends, in special the help of Tom (Peter Blok) while he is a lawyer. But Tom en his two other friends Joep (Gijs Scholten van Aschat), who is running for minister, and Maarten (Jaap Spijkers), a director, have enough problems for themselves. And the only thing they can focuse on, is there own problem. This delivers some great scenes, like the one in which Maarten is trying to tell Joep that he had sex with his 18 year old daughter, when they were preparing Maarten's latest play. When Joep enters the room, he tells Maarten how wonderful he liked the play, gives Maarten a hug and gives him no chance to tell his story.

This is typical for this movie; no one listens to the other, and this is brilliantly played by the best actors we have in Holland. Gijs Scholten van Aschat (who had the chance to play the raper in Lars von Triers "Dogville", but didn't do it because he wanted to make "Cloaca") plays Joep on a wonderfull way, and also the other die hard theater actors Pierre Bokma, Peter Blok and Jaap Spijkers give a fantastic performance. If you like good acting: GO SEE THIS ONE!!!