Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Egbert Jan Weeber | ... | Berry | |
Katja Schuurman | ... | Thera | |
Johnny de Mol | ... | Otto | |
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Edwin Jonker | ... | De Laatste Mode |
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Mohammed Chaara | ... | Jamal |
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Guusje Eybers | ... | Moeder van Berry |
Hans Dagelet | ... | Vader van Berry | |
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Joost Claes | ... | Rein, broer van Berry |
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Sabri Saad El-Hamus | ... | Driss (as Sabri Saad el hamus) |
Nazmiye Oral | ... | Arzu | |
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Stefan Jürgens | ... | Ben |
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Laurie Reijs | ... | Mirjam |
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Judy Doorman | ... | Moeder Thera |
Cees Geel | ... | Kapper | |
Touriya Haoud | ... | Marokkaans meisje 1 |
Berry is a nice teenage boy from a Dutch suburban villa family, who alas abuses the excessive liberty granted by his mostly absent pa, an actor, committing truancy from his elite school in bad down-town company. Despite this dwindling future perspectives, his cute and cocky appearance makes him quite a lady-killer; Berry counts himself quite lucky to become the instantly intimate boyfriend of crazy Thera, a junkie who stopped modeling professionally or anything else productive. The pair engages in a passionate affair, and impulsively decides to embark on a 'world tour' to their arbitrary favorite destinations -Barcelona, Denver and Tonga- which they finance by cashing rent and warrants from many interested persons for the fine residence of an old lady Thera was in fact just house-sitting. After Berry says goodbye indefinitely to his well-groomed and -behaved elder brother Rein while showering together, the 'elopers' start spending the ill-gotten funds like water in a luxury hotel, but... Written by KGF Vissers
I can't say much for the movie on its own, as I prepared for seeing it (and seeing Katja... hmmm) by reading the book first.
The book on its own is done quite well; the novel of an adolescence, his dual life, his frustration with love and the way he tries to struggle through life isn't all that bad. When watching the movie, though, it became apparent to me that almost all of those motives/themes are lost.
The casting is done well - both main characters (Katja Schuurman - I only know her acting from a Dutch theatre-play, and Egbert Jan Weeber, whom I only know from "Van God Los") are especially fit for the role they play.
The movie by itself (without knowledge of the book) must be confusing to most or seem like scenes loosely put together. It might have been maimed in the editing, or perhaps the screenwriter has a different view on how to construct a movie then I do. They tried hard to show the all-consuming character of the relationship by putting in a few very steamy sex-scenes, but ended up doing what just every other dutch movie does: profiling itself just because of those sex-scenes (which is what other comments point out quite clearly). Which is a shame, since the original story behind it is quite a bit more. Well, not Tolstoi, but OK :-)