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The Last Front
Belgium 2024
produced by Virginie Hayet, Brecht Arnaert (executive)
directed by Julien Hayet-Kerknawi
starring Iain Glen, Sasha Luss, Joe Anderson, David Calder, Koen De Bouw, James Downie, Emma Dupont, Kevin Murphy, Philippe Brenninkmeyer, Leander Vyvey, Julian Kostov, Joren Seldeslachts, Steve Armand, Sam Rintoul, Anna Ballantine, Emma Moortgat, Alexander Pels, Hugues Van Holderbeke, Mathijs Scheepers, Caroline Stas, Trine Thielen, Richard Wells, Finn Van Meel, Essie Van Meel, Tess Bryant, Rosita Huybrechts, Elouan Jauquet
written by Kate Wood, Julien Hayet-Kerknawi, music by Frederik Van de Moortel
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Some small Dutch village in 1914: Sure, the Germans have already
invaded the country, but the war's still far away and doesn't even concern
the locals who are much more interested in the village's own Romeo and
Juliet story between Louise (Sasha Luss) and Adrien (James Downie), where
their respective fathers, Dr. Janssen (Koen De Bouw) and farmer Leonard
(Iain Glen) just don't see eye to eye. Then though, the Germans under
Colonel von Rauch (Philippe Brenninkmeyer) do invade town, claiming to
just want (as in want to steal) provisions and fuel, but things soon
enough get out of hand and Adrien is shot dead by von Rauch's psychopath
son Lauremtz (Joe Anderson) and his sister Johanna (Emma Dupont) is
gravely wounded - all before both Leonard and Louise's very eyes ... and
suddenly the war has really come to town. And seeing Adrien fall for no
particular reason has finally formed a bond between Louise and Leonard who
now try everything to get the locals out of town and over the border to
France where they ought to be safe from the Germans at least for a while.
But for Laurentz, the situation has become personal, and for some reason
he has come to see Leonard as his mortal enemy - and he will stop and
nothing to stop Leonard and company before he crosses the border. At the
same time, Leonard has of course a bone to pick with Laurentz ...
Now ok, the personal vendetta theme has become somewhat of a
cliché in war movies as well as cinema in general, and while mirroring
the motive on both sides of the front might seem novel, it isn't exactly
new. That said, where the film really succeeds is in portraying the utter
futility of war: Here are people fighting over a modest and on the greater
scale of things utterly unremarkable village, and even those in command
(portrayed very well in the von Rauch-character) don't even have a clue
why and start to doubt the rationale of their doing - while doing it. And
that's what really stays with one after watching the movie, rather than
the actual story itself, and there aren't many films that get this across
this clearly, in their plot structure, their direction and their acting,
as The Last Front does - and that makes it definitely worth a
watch. The Last Front comes to cinemas in the UK
November 1st 2024.
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review © by Mike Haberfelner
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Robots and rats,
demons and potholes, cuddly toys and shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill Your Bones to is all of that.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to -
a collection of short stories and mini-plays ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle,
all thought up by the twisted mind of screenwriter and film reviewer Michael Haberfelner.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to
the new anthology by Michael Haberfelner
Out now from Amazon!!! |
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