Hot Picks
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Nr. 10
Netherlands / Belgium 2021
produced by Marc van Warmerdam for Graniet Film, Czar Film & TV
directed by Alex van Warmerdam
starring Tom Dewispelaere, Frieda Barnhard, Hans Kesting, Anniek Pheifer, Pierre Bokma, Dirk Böhling, Mandela Wee Wee, Richard Gonlag, Gene Bervoets, Liz Snoyink, Alexander ElMecky, Kim Karssen, Jan Bijvoet, Tobias Nierop, Stijn Van Opstal, Harriet Stroet, Bert Geurkink, Harpert Michielsen, Vic de Wachter, Aat Ceelen, Marieke Dilles, Geert de Jong, Sem Klarenbeek, Egbert Jan Weeber
written and music by Alex van Warmerdam, visual effects by Planet X
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Günter (Tom Dwispelaere) rehearses for a stageplay with a small group,
with him in the lead opposite Isabel (Anniek Pheifer), who just happens to
be the wife of the play's director Karl (Hans Kesting). But behind Karl's
back, she actually has an affair with Günter - of course without the
knowledge of Karl ... that is, until Günter's co-star Marius (Pierre
Bokma) spills the beans. Karl decides for slow revenge, changes the play
around so Marius is in the lead and Günter's role becomes more and more
demeaning. Somehow, with the help of Reichenbach (Gene Bervoets), agent of
Monsignore Wassinski (Dirk Böhling) of the Catholic Church (!), Günter
gets wind that Marius has snitched, and to have his revenge nails Marius's
foot to the floor during the premiere - which of course then finds him on
the run. The Catholic Church helps him in his escape, despite the fact
that Günter isn't even a religious person let alone Catholic, and
ultimately gets him in touch with Poelzig (Richard Gonlag), who claims to
be from another planet, and so, actually, is Günter, he was one of 12
test subjects that were left behind on earth decades ago as children, to
see if they can adapt to life on earth and ultimately crossbreed with
humans - and he's of course the proof they can as he has fathered Lizzy
(Frieda Barnhard) who has grown up to be a wealthy young woman. Thing is,
the aliens have hidden a huge spaceship beneath a tiny country church, and
now they want to take Günter and Lizzy back to their planet. Now Günter
has pretty much nowhere else to go, and Lizzy's all for it, so it's a done
deal. However, Günter does have reservation about other passengers on the
journey, Monsignore Wassinski and his entourage, who want to spread
Catholicism on the alien world ... Now this sure is a fun film:
What starts out as a pretty down-to-earth soap operatic backstage comedy
eventually turns into conspiracy thriller eventually turns into
intentionally out there science fiction, and it all works out as despite
all the genre shifts the film never loses its ironic tone and spins its
very heterogenic yarn in a very homogenic way. And of course it helps that
the actors play it straight throughout and keep it grounded, making this a
very unusual but all the more enjoyable genre blend.
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review © by Mike Haberfelner
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