Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Jan Bijvoet | ... | Camiel Borgman | |
Hadewych Minis | ... | Marina | |
Jeroen Perceval | ... | Richard | |
Alex van Warmerdam | ... | Ludwig | |
Tom Dewispelaere | ... | Pascal | |
Sara Hjort Ditlevsen | ... | Stine | |
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Elve Lijbaart | ... | Isolde |
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Dirkje van der Pijl | ... | Rebecca |
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Pieter-Bas de Waard | ... | Leo |
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Eva van de Wijdeven | ... | Ilonka |
Annet Malherbe | ... | Brenda | |
Gene Bervoets | ... | Gardener | |
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Mike Weerts | ... | Arthur Stornebrink |
Pierre Bokma | ... | Priest | |
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Benjamin Boe Rasmussen | ... | Man with Dog |
A priest and his companion hunt silently through the fields, accompanied by a braying dog. They are armed and deadly. Their quarry is Camiel Borgman (Jan Bijvoet), living in military sparseness in an underground den, near companions Ludwig and Pascal. Camiel scrapes out with some difficulty, hitching a ride with a doomed truck driver on a relentless trip to the heart of suburbia. He passes by two odd women, Brenda and Ilonka, with whom he seems to share a history. When a dirty Camiel arrives at the door of artist Marina and media executive Richard's expansive, designer-chic home, the shifting perceptions of Van Warmerdam's screenplay begin to displace and disorient the audience. Hallucinogenic elements dot the consciousness as Camiel shifts between the roles of victim and aggressor. He asks for a bath. He toys with Richard's jealousy. He is viciously beaten up by his cruelly intolerant host and left wounded on the floor. Marina seeks to assuage her guilt by allowing him a space for ... Written by Drafthouse Films
Borgman is a prime example of the difference between Mainstream Hollywood and European Cinema. Movies that don't tie up loose ends and force feed the audience. Movies that pay respect to the intelligence of the viewer. Borgman never really explains anything during the movie which will put a lot of people off, but if you are prepared to look at the minor details, you will appreciate the film for what it is, a deeply psychological look at social classes and many other elements that will get the audience thinking and ultimately form a discussion. With some truly unsettling scenes being complimented by dry humour, Borgman gives off a certain charm that will captivate the viewer right through the two hour running time! Great acting performances along with some surreal images gives Borgman that unique and creative edge, within a world of movies that lack anything new!