Ex Drummer (2007)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Koen Mortier

Writers:

Herman Brusselmans (novel)
Koen Mortier (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 January 2007 (Belgium)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Music

Plot:

Three handicapped losers who form a band ask famous writer Dries to be their drummer. He joins the band and starts manipulating them.

Plot Keywords:

Drummer | Writer | Drugs | Evil | Blood

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Dries Van Hegen	...	Dries
Norman Baert	...	Koen de Geyter
Gunter Lamoot	...	Jan Verbeek
Sam Louwyck	...	Ivan Van Dorpe
François Beukelaers	...	Pa Verbeek
Bernadette Damman	...	Mother Verbeek
Joris Van Der Speeten	...	Jan Verbeek 10 years
Nancy Denijs	...	Ivan's Wife
Nomie Visser	...	Ivan's Daughter
Dolores Bouckaert	...	Lio
Wim Willaert	...	Jimmy
Barbara Callewaert	...	Christine
Jan Hammenecker	...	Dikke Lul
Vinnie Bonduwe	...	Friend Dikke Lul
Chantal Wannyn	...	Erna

Runtime:

Belgium:90 min | Canada:104 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Belgium

Language:

Dutch | Flemish

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Belgium:KT | Netherlands:16 | Germany:16 | Australia:R

Filming Locations:

Middelkerke, Belgium

Company:

CCCP

Trivia:

The movie was intended to be filmed by Jan Bucquoy (La vie sexuelle des Belges 1950-1978 (1994)) and an option was made for the novel but because the subsidies of the Flemish government were withdrawn for Camping Cosmos (1996) (made in 1996 not far from the location of Ex Drummer (2007)), he could not make the movie because of financial problems. The movie was made ten years later by Koen Mortier.

Soundtrack:

Hunted By A Freak

Another thing we should leave to Belgium (besides music)

While this may be uncomforting for some, this is something which draws you to a cinema (or not, for some) It might be offensive, it might be raw, but the plain stupidity depicted in this movie is not far from reality, and that is what make this movie so haunting in the first place. If you like a story about little people not making it in the big world, this movie is for you. If you like movies where things all work out in the end, stay away, not for you.

Although I must admit I like the author from the novel on which this film is based upon, I was quite shocked to see a film like this, it's quite serious in some parts, quite ridiculous in others, but never falls apart, and that is very, very smart. Thank you Belgium for giving us a decent movie from Europe this year.