I saw this film at a sneak preview, in a sold-out theater. With most sneak previews, a lot of people go away after 20 or 30 minutes. Not with this film. It is the story of a young woman, Anna (Van Reeden) who decides never to fall in love again, and then meets 2 men - one a rather muscular construction worker (Zegers), the other a daydreaming piano playing romantic (Conen) - both of whom she of course eventually falls in love with. She initially tries to keep her two boyfriends, not knowing that the two men are best friends and even room mates. The film makes use of practically all of the conventions of a classic romantic comedy, yet it keeps the viewer engaged in the drama of all three main characters. Van Reeden portrays a very funny, sympathetic, even lovable Anna, Zegers looks absolutely great (girls started giggling as soon as he appeared) and plays his finest role yet, and Conen proves to be an extraordinary comedian. Guest appearances of Wendy van Dijk, Belgian actor Michaël Pas and even Sjoukje Hooijmaaijer seem well chosen. The use of a lot of classic and more recent Dutch pophits (Dolly Dots, Willeke Alberti, but also Twarres, Krezip and Birgit) is remarkable, keeping the film going at all times, and appealing to everyone's memories of old friends, lovers and days gone by. People who like very sophisticated character development may be somewhat disappointed, but this film is a must-see if you're in for a light, yet sparkling and very funny romantic comedy.
Reviews
2 Reviews
The Cave
(2001)
A must-see
28 August 2001
De Grot is a very good film. The great plot comes from the novel by Tim Krabbé, who also adapted this story for the screen. Some really top-class acting, not only by Van Huêt, but especially by Marcel Hensema, who mostly did TV-work prior to his performance of Axel van de Graaf. The film seems to kick of as a thriller, and sets an excellent mood. Then we start to learn about Egon Wagter and Axel van de Graaf, and the story is revealed bit by bit in a very compelling flash-back structure, which adds to the more romantic aspect and the character-driven drama of the movie. In the end this all culminates into an emotional ending, that will grab audiences by their throats. Make sure you know as little as possible about the plot when you are going to see this movie. A must-see, especially if you liked 'Spoorloos' (The Vanishing's original screen adaptation).
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