A review: "Meisje" [2002 Belgium, Netherlands]

Dorothée Van Den Berghe's début feature "Meisje" [Eng. Title: Girl] is about a young provincial woman who is determined to escape her mundane working-class existence, experience what it's like to be 'independent', and get herself associated with refined culture in a big city. The film also looks at issues concerning women of various ages using characters that the protagonist interacts with.







It begins with twenty year old Muriel (Charlotte Vanden Eynde) attending an interview for the post of museum guide in a Brussels art gallery. Even before waiting for her result, she gives notice to her employer back in the village, where her doting mother Martha (Frieda Pittoors) too works, and rents a room in a Brussels flat owned by Laura (Els Dottermans) - a thirty-something woman desperate to get pregnant.

Laura is an exuberant woman who thinks she has little time to waste on niceties such as love and loyalty. When her lover Oskar (Matthias Schoenaerts) refuses to be party to her pregnancy-plans, she promptly starts scouting for a new lover. When her terminally ill mother (Alice Toen) enquires about him in the hospital, she lets her know that they're no longer together.

Muriel doesn't land the expected job, but she persuades them to give her any other job in the gallery. After some initial reluctance, they make her a guard. Her erstwhile boyfriend Luc (Nico Sturm) is upset at her leaving village, and comes looking for her at work, in vain hope of convincing her to return with him. Instead, Muriel secretly begins fancying Oskar after bumping into him while returning from work one day.

Their first date won't turn out as planned, when Muriel is forced to babysit the children of Laura's new lover Alain (Wim Opbrouck) - he had after all offered to sample Laura's voice to kick-start her musical career. Sneaking out after putting the children to bed, Muriel, worried about them waking up, couldn't quite enjoy her date and returns home in haste. The same evening, Martha, clearly not happy about her daughter living away, comes looking for her in Brussels. Martha, Laura, and Muriel will unite under unexpected circumstances, and also open up to each other...

Van Den Berghe's début, whilst showcasing her talents as film-maker, also demonstrates her willingness to draw inspiration from other world directors such as Robert Bresson and Mike Leigh. But the film also delves headlong into self-reflective realism of the Nouvelle Vague kind, and perhaps could've lightened up a touch now and again. Of course, this isn't helped by the protagonist's rather reserved, Cinderella-type character whose forte doesn't include humour. What's insightful and well observed however, are the mother-daughter interactions - both between Muriel and Martha, and Laura and her mother, that are as moving as they're relevant in understanding modern family relationships. At least for this reason, it is Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link [PAL]

 

The Nudity: Charlotte Vanden Eynde, Els Dottermans, and Alice Toen
The film contains a number of scenes featuring nudity and sex, some of which are also close-ups that might even have used a body-double for actress and performance artist Charlotte Vanden Eynde, who isn't particularly the shy type. Most of the nudity however is from Els Dottermans, and she also features in a hilarious, interrupted sex scene. Alice Toen is shown nude while undergoing a scan at the hospital.



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A brief review: "Marina" [2013 Belgium, Italy]

Stijn Coninx's biographical film "Marina" is about the early life of Rocco Granata, an Italian born Belgian immigrant who'd later become a pop-sensation in his country and beyond. The title refers to his first hit single by the same name.






The film begins in the late forties with Rocco's father Salvatore (Luigi Lo Cascio), a blacksmith by trade, leaving family behind to work the coal mines in Belgium. A year later, missing his kids and worried if his wife Ida (Donatella Finocchiaro) might be having an affair, Salvatore asks his family to join him. When they arrive, Ida could hardly conceal her disappointment after seeing the ramshackle tenement they'll be living in.

Growing up in a Belgian industrial town, young Rocco (Cristiaan Campagna, Matteo Simoni) realises that he will always be seen by locals as someone different, a foreigner who does not belong there, and the local greengrocer isn't any exception, whose blonde daughter he'd already begun to fancy.

Rocco also has a passion for music, and spends most of his spare time practising with his accordion. Rocco's father - he had to sacrifice his own musical ambitions in order to feed his family, urges him to pursue music only as a hobby.

The grocer's daughter Helena (Evelien Bosmans), upon whom Rocco has had a crush since childhood, had now grown into an attractive young lady, and during a conversation urges him to participate in a talent show.

Success in the show will help him form a travelling band, with which he'll perform in clubs and various events until he gets 'discovered' by a music producer. His first album will soon top the charts in Belgium, several European countries, and later America, launching him into a long and successful career in music.

As mainstream films go, this is not a bad one at all, and it contains some decent production values too - the mainly Italian cast give a fine account of themselves. A good chunk of the film is particularly focused on the xenophobia and discrimination prevalent in Belgium at the time, which while no different from any other part of the world during the fifties, will nevertheless remind audiences of modern day parallels when it comes to immigration and integration. Recommended Viewing..!

 

The Nudity: Evelien Bosmans and Matteo Simoni
There's brief nudity during a single scene between the characters played by Evelien Bosmans (Helena) and Matteo Simoni (Rocco). They make out on top of a barge after getting their clothes wet during a frolic. They're interrupted by Rocco's musician-pal who'd come to pick him up for their first studio recording. Helena is momentarily left standing naked on top of the barge after Rocco runs off to join his friend.



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A film review: "SM-rechter" [2009 Belgium]

For his directorial feature-length film début, Erik Lamens had chosen a sensational court case from late nineties' Belgium as his subject. "SM-rechter" [Eng. Title: SM-Judge, Ger. Title: SM Richter] dramatises the story of a sitting judge who was convicted of assault and battery, for having a BDSM relationship with his wife of twenty five years.

Not only did the case shed unwelcome light upon sex lives of people in high places, it also exposed some of the inherent flaws in the way criminal law can be interpreted, but more importantly, it shook the very foundations upon which civil liberties and individual freedoms are based, after the system objected to a consenting couple choosing to live differently within the confines of their own privacy. The film unapologetically narrates the story from the couple's point of view.




Koen (Gene Bervoets), a widely respected and admired judge, will have to come to terms with the fact that Magda (Veerle Dobbelaere), his wife of fifteen years, had been diagnosed as suffering from depression, when six months after loosing her job, she has a nervous breakdown in front of friends and family during a party.

When the couple come close to separating, a desperate Koen persuades Magda to open up and explain the reason for her desire to leave, and discovers to his dismay that Magda had been harbouring secret fantasies involving S&M for over thirty years. Out of love for his wife, and in a bid to preserve his marriage and family, Koen acquiesces to her wish to be dominated and subjected to pain.

With a daughter entering a precocious age, and finding it difficult to live out Magda's desires at home, the couple start visiting a S&M parlour to fulfil their needs. Magda begins to enjoy life once again - she could finally be herself and not feel ashamed about it, and Koen, while still unable to comprehend why anyone would want to have pain inflicted upon them, nevertheless goes along with her wishes, even when he's aware of potential consequences to his career if word of their lifestyle were to get out.

When authorities investigating a known criminal unexpectedly stumble upon the couple's activities, the prosecutor who seems to hold a grudge against Koen, brings the full force of the law to bear upon him. Koen will be convicted for assault despite his wife's testimony, and unceremoniously sacked from his job, without his pension. The case caused a sensation and split the nation, with some wholeheartedly approving of Koen, while others saw it differently. Koen's subsequent appeal to the European Court of Human Rights was also rejected, but the real-life couple upon whose life the film is based, continued to live together even at the time of the film's production.

Adversity couldn't tear this couple apart, and that is what the film passionately tries to convey - that a strong relationship is founded on honesty and mutual trust, and far from being exploitative, their's was one of true love, to the extent that the protagonist was even willing to sacrifice a distinguished career in order to make things work between them.

The low key film surprisingly manages to emanate a warmth belying its dark subject matter, and its scenes of whipping, piercing, and other forms of bondage doesn't in any way dehumanise the compassionate drama unfolding. It's a triumph for the director and the actors involved, and one that was also approved of by the actual judge-wife couple who were involved in the preproduction stages.

What is not surprising however, is WTP International - itself no stranger to matters concerning BDSM, picking up this film for distribution in Germany. Their DVD comes with Dutch and German audio, with optional English subtitles. It also includes interviews from the director (who speaks in English), and the real-life couple upon whom the film is based (in Dutch with German subtitles). However, this is not a docu-drama centred around BDSM - it is essentially a love story, but nevertheless depicts some BDSM practices in a matter-of-fact manner without overly sensationalising it, and will therefore appeal even to those not into BDSM. It is Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon.de DVD Link [PAL]

 

The Nudity: Veerle Dobbelaere and Jesss van BeShibari
There's intermittent nudity in scenes featuring bondage, domination, and sex, and Veerle Dobbelaere appears nude in some of them. Apart from one breast piercing sequence, scenes in the film are relatively tame by today's standards. There is also brief nudity from Jesss van BeShibari, a professional S&M model, during a rope bondage, and she also body-double's for some of Ms. Dobbelaere's scenes. For those interested, there are more images of Ms. BeShibari in her own website.



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It seems ages since a French film was reviewed here..!

Fabienne Godet comes across as a seasoned observer of human psychology - her drama "Une place sur la Terre" [Eng. Title: A Place on Earth] explores with authority friendship and love between a disillusioned middle aged photographer and a budding marine archaeologist - both going through depression.


Antoine (Benoît Poelvoorde) considers himself a failure, and when he's not trying to mask his sadness through dry humour, is seeking solace in alcohol. His close (and only) friend is six year old neighbour Matéo (Max Baissette de Malglaive) whose mother is away most of the time. When twenty-something Elena (Ariane Labed) moves into the neighbourhood, across his courtyard, Antoine first becomes aware of her presence only through the piano music coming from her apartment - it's not so much the music, but the way she played it that stood out.


His curiosity will take a voyeuristic turn when he begins to watch her through his camera, and takes pictures unbeknown to her. It is during one of his curiosity-satiating moments that she throws herself off the roof - and Antoine had captured it all with his camera. He rushes her to hospital, taking care not to utter a word to anyone about her attempted suicide. Lucky not to have suffered spinal injury, Elena recovers in full, and a tentative friendship develops between the two.


Antoine will soon start feeling more 'alive' than he'd ever before - there is after all a new purpose to his life now - make Elena smile. He falls in love, even if that's not the way she feels, for she is herself a lost soul barely hanging on - we're not given reasons for either's mental illness, but Elena's way of coping is through volunteering as a youth worker - helping those who'd lost their way in drugs, whilst she prepared for her doctorate. Elena isn't pleased to discover Antoine's pictures of her, and when she moves to Alexandria to pursue her career, they depart under a cloud of mixed feelings. Antoine will now have to overcome her absence and find a new purpose in life - this time, his own...


The storyline might sound depressing, but the film certainly isn't - Ms. Godet has handled the subject with a great deal of skill, subtlety and humour, because of which characters thoroughly engage by taking us along with them in their search for happiness - we smile with them just as much as we feel their loss. The performances are heartfelt; Benoît Poelvoorde convincingly gets into his character - perhaps drawing from his own personal experience of depression, and beautiful Ariane Labed is able to project her character's sadness and joy through her trademark gaze alone, and the camera is unashamedly (justifiably too) obsessed with her just as we, looking through Antoine's eyes. Well edited and put together, the cinematography is slick and stylish. It's also the most impressive new French film I'd seen so far this year, and Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon.fr DVD Link [PAL]

 

The Nudity: Ariane Labed
There is brief nudity in a couple of scenes when Ariane Labed's character is in a bath, and during a sex scene. She may not be showing much of her body in this film, but the Attenberg star has us transfixed nevertheless whenever she appears on screen.



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Chantal Akerman continues her semi-autobiographical journey as filmmaker that started with her 'New York' set of films, followed by Je, tu, il, elle, where she played the lead herself, to "Les rendez-vous d'Anna" [Eng. Title: The Meetings of Anna], with Aurore Clément starring as a young film director of a similar age to Akerman.

In a sense, Les rendez-vous d'Anna is the culmination of a journey undertaken by Akerman, both creatively and personally - her themes on living in a foreign environment, the sense of displacement it creates, and her study in isolation or self-inflicted loneliness, as response to traditional expectations that are no longer relevant (in Je, tu, il, elle) find resonance here too.

Anna, a Belgian filmmaker living in Paris, is in a German town promoting a film, and her return journey over the next two days will take her past Cologne and Brussels. Preferring the anonymity of hotel accommodation to friends' and relatives', Anna's dealings with people she meets portray a hesitance to engage beyond the necessary, whether it is with strangers for one-night stands, or old family acquaintances who want to get in touch.

During her various meetings, Anna is largely a listener, barely responding as people pour their hearts out, and her persona seems to particularly attract the talkative-types. She appears content enough, and believes she knows what she wants, never having the need to talk about herself - we get to know Anna only through the way others respond to her. The only time she opens up in person is during a bedtime chat with her mother in a hotel room, when she confesses to being in love with an Italian woman, but who has since been elusive to get hold of over phone during her journey.

When Anna arrives in Paris, she's picked up by ex-lover Daniel (Jean-Pierre Cassel), and they end up in a hotel room. After he falls ill, Anna, out of character, even attempts to comfort him. The film ends with Anna alone in her flat, listening to messages left on her answering machine. She's home..!

The film is reminiscent of some of Michelangelo Antonioni and Wim Wenders' works, in the way space and architecture is exploited to observe characters from a detached perspective. There is a lot going on in the film that surprised me retrospectively too, after reading Darren Hughes' essay. For an appreciation of the film's technical merits, you should find the insightful and well-studied piece quite helpful.

But aficionados aside, this film also affects and moves the casual viewer with its straightforward narrative and thoughtful direction, and I'm sure that is what Akerman also wanted to achieve. Those additional layers, people can discover in their own time, thanks to DVD technology. Talking of which, the collection released by Criterion in its Eclipse series is definitely the one I'd recommend, as it includes her New York films along with Je, tu, il, elle, which connects Akerman's theme and creative process very aptly. Among her early films, Chantal Akerman's Les rendez-vous d'Anna remains my absolute favourite, and is therefore Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon Criterion 3-DVD Collection [NTSC]

 

The Nudity: Aurore Clément and Jean-Pierre Cassel
The film is also a nude-scene classic. Beautiful Aurore Clément gives an ethereal performance as the titular character Anna, and appears nude during four lengthy sequences. Most of them are formal compositions - non-erotic but sensual nevertheless. There is also brief nudity from Jean-Pierre Cassel who plays Daniel, a businessman and Anna's former lover that she turns to.



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Building a strictly online relationship - "Offline" [2012 Belgium]

Flemish director Peter Monsaert appears to be yet another exciting prospect from Belgium, and if his future films also turn out to be anything like "Offline", we sure will be in for a treat.

Storyline:
Rudy (Wim Willaert), released from prison after serving seven years, arrives at his home-town to try and pick up the pieces of his life. But it won't be easy - his ex-wife Carine (Patricia Goemaere) is not too keen to hear from him, and Vicky (Anemone Valcke), his grown-up daughter, isn't even aware that he's still alive. Not only should Rudy try and reach out to Vicky - his only connection left in the world, but also prove to her that he's a changed man - that he deserves a second chance. For that he needs to rebuild a trust that was shattered, following a traumatic event that led to his incarceration in the first place. When he does make contact, their relationship will fail to take off, and Rudy is left with the awkward proposition of having to 'communicate' with Vicky, anonymously, online (and don't dads hate that)!

"Offline" is an example of how a simple story about complicated relationships can be eloquently told with the help of a well-crafted screenplay. It is this, along with the fine editing that makes this film an exquisite cinema experience. I'm not generally a great fan of fast edits and frantic shot selections, but on this occasion, it conveys the drama beautifully. Aided by strong performances by the main cast, the well engineered sound, and not least the music by Triggerfinger, this production oozes class. This moving, funny, and heart-warming little gem is definitely - Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Official Site and Trailer | DVD Link [PAL]

 

The Nudity: Anemone Valcke, and Wim Willaert
The film features brief albeit unavoidable nudity from Wim Willaert playing Rudy, and pretty Belgian actress Anemone Valcke - she plays Rudy's daughter Vicky, saving money for her studies through a webcam site.



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Delphine Seyrig in Chantal Akerman's Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles

The 1975 Franco-Belgian film "Jeanne Dielman", or "Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles" to be precise, saw a young lady of twenty five with little formal qualification in film introduce a totally new vocabulary into cinema. Chantal Anne Akerman had arrived. The three and a half hours of seemingly repetitive footage of mundane domestic chores will provoke, inquire, and make you examine the nature of human relationships and the fundamentals of modern society if you can sit through the first hour..!

Storyline:
Jeanne Dielman is your typical nondescript woman living in a similarly nondescript apartment, in a nondescript neighbourhood of Brussels - there is nothing particularly distinguishing about Jeanne save the fact that she's somewhere in her late thirties, widowed, and has a school-going teenage son. To make ends meet  (and fill a vacant timeslot during her 'active' day), she services a small clientèle of gentlemen at an appointed hour. When Jeanne's carefully constructed daily life of 'ritualised' schedules is disrupted, she realises that she couldn't function 'normally' any more. And she desperately tries to stop her life spiralling out of control...

There is indeed very little there is to say about the storyline - the film may be over three hours long, but it covers only three days of Jeanne's life. The length of the film however seems necessary considering the profound messages contained there in. I suspect even Ms. Akerman might not have articulated all of them fully when the film was made. Besides, the plaudits she won had placed her in an unenviable situation so early in a career of having to emulate if not better what she'd already accomplished through this film.

The film talks to me in different levels nevertheless. It could be seen as a in-your-face feminist statement, showing what the other half of humankind are up to while men work to 'bring home the bread'. It could be seen as a portrait of a society in transition and the pressures it places on families. But there are additional levels if you care to dig deep - it is about our hidden fear of the unknown, and a desire to stick to known ways than having to deal with change. The predictability and clockwork precision of her chores and their outcomes allowed Jeanne to stay in control - everything is where they should be in the household, she knows exactly in what state of repair each item is in, and when they need to be replaced. Frighteningly, she's also the 'perfect' housewife one could wish for, who might just as well have managed without the prostitution bit had her husband still be alive. Jeanne's part-time occupation in itself can be seen as a metaphor of sorts in the film. Even more so, when you are privy to the fact that it was her first experience of orgasm, with a client, that actually throws her routine off-balance. Apart from highlighting the importance of the sexual event itself, Ms. Akerman can also be seen as indirectly blaming men's preoccupation with sex for women's woes. Ouch..!

Production wise, this film is nothing short of brilliant, despite most of the crew being women - a rarity in those days. The thoughtful cinematography and framing, the sparse but extremely intelligent script, the boldness with which mundane events are depicted in real-time, which while not only having you transfixed, will force you to feel empathy for the character. Delphine Seyrig who plays the main character of Jeanne Dielman was not only a big star at the time, she was also a favourite among various auteur directors. Ms. Akerman's reason for casting Ms. Dielman in the film becomes obvious as the film progresses - someone like Ms. Dielman could never be imagined making up the bed or cleaning the kitchen after use. By casting someone as charismatic and recognisable as her, Ms. Akerman wants the 'unseen' part of a woman's work to be 'seen'. And Ms. Dielman certainly doesn't disappoint. By whatever yardstick you wish to use, this film is provocative, insightful, and will ask you probing questions - exactly what great art always does. This film is an exquisite piece of art, it is Highly Recommended Viewing..!

 

Amazon Criterion 2-DVD Link [NTSC]

About the DVD:
Criterion has done a wonderful job with this set by including a second dual-layered disc full of amazing extras. They include interviews with Ms. Akerman about this film, a short film about her work, an Akerman interview with her mother, and also Chantal Akerman's first film, a short called, "Saute ma ville" starring herself. She will act in some of her other films too, which I'll touch upon in another post. The 2nd disc will make you notice what a charming and adorable person she is, and her infectious child-like enthusiasm for film even after all these years suggests she hasn't grown-out of film yet. This is certainly my recommended DVD-set.

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Compilation: Delphine Seyrig
In the only nude scene in the film, we have a 3-minute long take of Delphine Seyrig washing herself in the bath. Only the top half of her is visible, but it is nevertheless one of those very rare nude film appearances for Ms. Seyrig.



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Déborah François and others in "My Queen Karo" [2009 Belgium, Netherlands]

I believe coming-of-age must be a favourite subject for Dutch-Belgian director Dorothée Van Den Berghe - this is the second film of hers that I've seen delving into it. "My Queen Karo" is a delicate study of a young girl adjusting to life in an unconventional environment.

Storyline:
the film is set in the early seventies when nine year old Karo and her bohemian parents Dalia and Raven move into a squatter's commune in Amsterdam. Within no time, Raven gets involved with Alice, a left-wing activist who already has a partner and two children, and he invites her to move into the commune. Obviously Dalia isn't too happy with the arrangement but there's little she could do to change Raven's mind. She reluctantly accepts the ménage à trois by sharing Raven with Alice. Just as her parents come to terms with the new life they'd chosen, Karo finds herself adjusting to new realities. This is the heart of the film, as she sees her parent's relationship change beyond what she'd have ideally preferred, and must find her own way to be happy. She still loves her parents, and although she is glad to have found new friends in Alice's children - Daniel and Tara, swimming will become her passion, one she will pursue with rigour to distract herself from a less than ideal lifestyle.

While similar topics may have been discussed in film before, what makes this different is the careful and sensitive screenplay. It doesn't divert too much of our attention away from young Karo - this film isn't about her parents and their heartbreaks, but of Karo displaying a maturity beyond her years to adapt to the surroundings. All the principal actors give a fine performance, particularly pleasing is that of the adorable Anna Franziska Jaeger who plays Karo. The cinematography is appealing, as is the soundtrack, and I even loved the title credits. There are also instances of child nudity in the film, but it is deftly handled - there's nothing here that 'balanced' individuals should be unduly concerned about. This is pretty much a mainstream film that needs a wider audience than it does. And that is why, this is Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link




Compilation:
Déborah François, Maria Kraakman, Matthias Schoenaerts, Anna Franziska Jaeger, Cezanne Q Cuypers, and Samuel du Chatinier



Scene Guide:

• Young Karo and her hedgehog pal Iglo adjusting to life in a commune. Karo is played by the wonderful Anna Franziska Jaeger.
• When Raven openly takes on Alice as his lover, a distraught Dalia contemplates throwing herself off the building. Karo intervenes. Dalia is played by the delightful Déborah François, Raven by a handsome Matthias Schoenaerts, and Alice by a very nineteen-seventies looking Maria Kraakman.
• Dalia tries to get some attention from Raven by trying on a dress she'd just made. When she asks for some help with her dress, Raven refuses to play along.
• With Raven spending a lot of his time with Alice, Dalia decides the only way she could be with him is by joining them. A threesome ensues. Karo watches the drama with mixed feelings of curiosity and disappointment.
• Alice and Raven go on a holiday along with Karo and Alice's children Tara and Daniel, played by Cezanne Q Cuypers, and Samuel du Chatinier respectively.
• Upon their return, Raven is annoyed noticing Dalia had installed a new partition, effectively separating herself from the rest.
• Raven and Alice making love not too far away from the children, and Alice's kids jump into the bed to play with her. Karo doesn't.
• When the landlord switches off their water supply, Alice, Raven, and the kids help themselves to a much needed shower at Karo's swimming pool.

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Arta Dobroshi in "Le Silence de Lorna" [2008 Belgium, France]

Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have made another excellent conscientious drama in "Le Silence de Lorna" [Eng. Title: The Silence of Lorna]. Focusing on the immigration racket to show how cold and calculating people use loopholes within the system to exploit people, it follows the fortunes of Lorna, an Albanian immigrant who marries native Belgian Claudy to procure citizenship. Claudy, a junkie, also gets paid for marrying her. The deal is that after Lorna gets her ctizenship, she's to become quickly available for getting married to a Russian smuggler who wants EU citizenship. Claudy had been chosen carefully so that he could be disposed off easily through an overdose. But Lorna prefers to simply divorce the guy instead. She applies, and is granted divorce after showing medical staff some self-inflicted wounds. Claudy is also trying to come off drugs and turn a new page. But the cartel are impatient, and things don't go according to plan...

The film raises several questions, about government immigration policies, our own fears and prejudices, loopholes that can be easily exploited by criminal syndicates, and exploitation of women in general. The film is fast-paced through most of its duration, and towards the end have some bizarre twists, which I won't mention, but it is these that I feel were a bit contrived. But overall, the film has our full attention, and Arta Dobroshi gives a heart-felt performance in the titular role of Lorna. Recommended Viewing.




Arta Dobroshi, as Lorna:



There is only one nude scene in the film, interesting nevertheless. Now that Lorna has got a divorce and will be leaving soon, Claudy is shattered, and now desperately wants a fix - he had been encouraged by Lorna to get off drugs, and it had been working. When he decides to go out to buy some more drugs, Lorna locks the door and throws away the key, and in order to take his mind off drugs, disrobes and offers to have sex with him for the first time.






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Louise Bourgoin in "Blanc comme Neige" BR720 [2010 Belgium, France]

Christophe Blanc's latest film is a thriller (or should I say a comedy thriller) called "Blanc comme Neige" [Eng. Title: White Snow] with some high expectations. The film does start off nicely, but looses its way half way through. Some of the scenes are not believable at all - the plot is there, but the screenplay lets it down.
Maxine is a luxury car dealer living a contended life - a successful business, beautiful wife Michèle, loving daughter, neat little villa, and of course his sparkling new beemer. When he discovers the reason why his partner got murdered, he's shocked to know that his partner had been selling defective cars to the Finnish Mafia, and when they ask for a refund, he tells them that he doesn't have the money any more.
Now they're pursuing Maxine for that money. He asks his brothers to help get rid of the gang, but things get ridiculously complicated further.

There are two brief nude appearances in the film, first when Michèle slides off into the pool, naked, and later when Maxine has a bad dream concerning his wife at office. I've added a few extra seconds before and after to allow people to follow the scene. Michèle is played by the absolutely gorgeous Louise Bourgoin. Let's say she looks even more stunning in Blu-ray..!






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Sylviane Godé in "C'est arrive pres de chez vous" aka "Man Bites Dog" [1993 Belgium]

Benoît Poelvoorde, Rémy Belvaux, and André Bonzel shot this seminal shocker with a shoestring budget, acting, writing and directing - they also used friends and family members to make up the cast. What emerged is a fantastic piece of cinema, even if the film itself is disturbing to say the least. Benoît Poelvoorde plays the protagonist - a compulsive serial killer and burglar who a documentary film crew follow during all his exploits. Even if they don't realise it at first, the crew get sucked into Ben's world of twisted morals, and before long they become his willing accomplices.

Unless you're a keen cinema lover and are not disturbed by depiction of extreme brutality, you're better off giving this a miss. But it is a gem of a film - written, acted, directed and edited with great panache.

The scene depicted here is plainly revolting, and since my intention of adding this here is only for the nudity and the filmmaking - certainly not to titilate, I've left the full scene intact - so download the clip at your own discretion.

 

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