Moscow, Belgium (2008)

Matty, a 41-year old mother of three with a husband in his midlife-crisis, meets 29-year old Johnny, a truck driver, who takes an interest in her.

Director:

Christophe Van Rompaey

Writers:

Jean-Claude Van Rijckeghem, Pat van Beirs

Stars:

Barbara Sarafian, Jurgen Delnaet, Johan Heldenbergh

13 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Barbara Sarafian	...	Matty
Jurgen Delnaet	...	Johnny
Johan Heldenbergh	...	Werner
Anemone Valcke	...	Vera
Sofia Ferri	...	Fien
Julian Borsani	...	Peter
Bob De Moor	...	Jacques
Jits Van Belle	...	Nicky
Griet van Damme	...	Nathalie
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lisa Buylaert	...	Fliekes 1
Yvonne Delcour	...	Oud Dametje
Thomas Dhanens	...	Bediende
Camille Friant	...	Iris
Rania Gaaloul	...	Fliekes 2
Frederik Imbo	...	Maxime

Storyline

Matty is a 41-year old troubled married woman. Or, as she puts it, her husband is going through a midlife crisis, her oldest daughter is in puberty, her youngest daughter thinks she's in puberty and her son can't find his way into puberty. And, after an accident when leaving the parking lot of the local supermarket, her car needs a repair. To her surprise and disbelief, the 29-year old driver whose truck she hits (Johnny), takes an interest in her.

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Plot Keywords:

puberty | truck | midlife crisis | truck driver | supermarket | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Bac Films [France] Official site

Country:

Belgium

Language:

Flemish Dutch

Release Date:

30 January 2008 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

Moscow, Belgium

Filming Locations:

Ghent, Flanders, Belgium

Box Office

Budget:

€725,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$183,594 (Belgium), 3 February 2008, Limited Release

Company Credits

Production Co:

A Private View

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jurgen Delnaet, Johnny had to take lessons to drive the truck in the film. As he failed his final exam the production had to put an experienced tutor in the truck during the takes.

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Goofs

When the accident occurs, the license plate on Johnny's truck reads "BPS-701". Later, when Johnny fixes Matty's car, her car has the exact same license plates.

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Quotes

Vera: Mom, are you taking a bath?
Matty: No, a big black guy is giving me a massage...

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Soundtracks

Mona Lisa
Written by Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
Performed by Jurgen Delnaet

User Reviews

unpretentiousness

You can hardly get more unpretentious than what you have here.

It's elementary clear how this is made, the devices that were used, and the effective it is and this is a good thing, in this case.

Check how the story and the mood is built right from the first scene. A minor traffic accident in a parking lot, that begins an argument. The scene starts as a piece of ordinary life, goes on as a light word-based argument, and finishes in a funny mood. Notice how every word and sentence in this argument is designed to cause an immediate impression without becoming dark or even heavy. That's the mood of the film. It lives on daily lives, it introduces deviating elements, that usually work out funny (the introduction of the lesbian theme was a great moment, among others)and with this mood evokes a sense of tenderness, what audiences may call "romance". The fact that the people who conceived this were able to synthesize this so economically and efficiently in one single scene is really impressive. This is one of the most meaningful first scenes i've seen.

I place this with 3 recent comedies that among many differences share a common sense of unpretentiousness, something that admits cinema is a piece of entertainment, that things have to be successful and effective in the eye, and through the dialogues, IN the world of the film, without meaning that the film should moralize or search for superior answers to common themes. These films i saw recently are "Juno", "Little miss Sunshine" and this one. Of the 3, this was the best, to me. It deviates from Hollywood canons even more than the other two, and that may be the reason.

It works for the performances, acting, which were surprisingly direct and grasping. I know very few or nothing about Belgian (or equivalent) acting traditions, but i am guessing (may be wrong) that this is inserted in a longer tradition of acting with fluidity, what some may consider "natural" acting. I wouldn't dare to mistake this for "real" life, as i suppose many spectators will, but this is a really well shaped cartoon world. Representation, that's what this is... the guy goes often to Italy, and speaks Italian many times, a language that in some of its golden moments in art is meant to "sound" instead of really "mean".

Some cityscapes of the small town of Moscow, Belgium, is great. There was a competent eye for the city here as well.

My opinion: 4/5

(FantasPorto 2009)

http://www.7eyes.wordpress.com