Zomerhitte (2008) User Reviews

Worst book adaption I've ever seen

[raisand_guitarist · 6/10 · 3 February 2012]

When Jan Wolkers, one of the best Dutch writers of Dutch literary history, was asked to write a 'boekenweekgeschenk', he wrote a beautiful story, which introduced young, novice readers to the literary world. The book had a fantastic plot, and really emphasized the power love can have. Above all, the story is told like it's a dream.

Then the movie rights were sold and the book got adapted. It's a good thing Jan Wolkers already passed away when this film was released, because I am sure this would've really disappointed him. The creators did exactly what Dutch films are notorious for: they tried to turn the book into a thriller with non stop action.

At the part where the book ends, the film continues for another 15 minutes. In these 15 minutes, the most unlikely things happen. I found it difficult to watch this film in the first place, but at the part where they started making up these unlikely things I actually turned it off, I didn't even want to watch the ending after the whole story got messed up so badly.

All I can say is that it's a pity that they adapted this book into a movie. That's one thing that should not be done to high quality literary masterpieces. The reason I rated this movie 6 stars is just because it is based on a book of Jan Wolkers. I hope that many people will read his book after (or before) watching this movie or after reading this review and that they will realise that the storyline in the book was way better than the one in the movie.

Hot times under the sun

[jotix100 · 5/10 · 14 April 2010]

The film begins on a somewhat intriguing premise. We are taken to Afghanistan, where Bob, a photographer for Unicef, is traveling with a woman. We realize they are a couple. When shots are heard in the distance, they stop the car. Bob realizes he has stumbled on some men that are killing the occupants of a truck. Bob, camera in hand, begins taking pictures from a vantage point until he is discovered. A grenade is thrown their way, killing his lady friend. Bob captures the last moment of her life, as he wonder how could anyone in his right mind could even take a picture under such strenuous circumstances, is beyond comprehension!

Shortly after this incident, Bob is seen aboard a ferry that is bringing him to the Dutch island of Texel. He has come on an assignment to photograph the fauna and flora for National Geographic. One day at the beach, he runs into a sunbathing naked woman. She turns out to be Kathleen, a beautiful woman. Bob, who has photographed her from a distance, gets bolder and proceeds to shoot her at closer range. The results are striking. Kathleen makes it a point to tells Bob she is into playing with herself to help an older friend get off sexually.

Without going into the rest of the story, this Dutch film, based on a novel by Jan Wolkers, and directed by Monique VandeVen, does not make much sense. In part, some of the blame lies in the screenplay that Edwin DeVries created. The problem is that we don't believe for a moment anything that is happening on the screen. It doesn't help that the director uses Kathleen to 'bare' it all without much urging. Bob, supposedly a world renown photographer, looks as though he should be posing for a fashion magazine, instead of taking pictures.

That said, the only thing to enjoy in the film has to be the great photographic account Lex Brand, the cinematographer, gave to the the finished product. The picturesque island of Texel is captured in all its beauty. Enjoy the scenery and Sophie Hilbrand's beauty.

Worse than a bad made for TV movie

[johno-21 · 4/10 · 17 January 2009]

I recently saw this at the 2009 Palm Springs International Film. This is the feature length directorial debut of veteran Dutch actress Monique van de Ven and based on my observation it should be her last. I hate movies that are so implausible that you are picking apart practically every scene. This film immediately leaves you scratching your head. as it begins a young photographer and his girlfriend who works for an international aid organization are having a leisurely drive through the Taliban-controlled mountains Afghanistan having a conversation about their love when a rocket stops a truck in front of them. They get out of their vehicle to watch as Talliban fighters equipped with rocket launchers, machine guns, rifles, handguns and grenades execute all five people in the truck. Bob (Waldemar Torenstra) starts taking pictures of all this when he is spotted by one of the insurgents who lobs a hand grenade at them that kills his girlfriend. since they are with hand throwing distance they can't be more than 50 yards away yet he somehow gets away. His girlfriend is blown up and he takes a picture of the moment of the grenade impact that kills her and wins a prize as photographer of the year for the photo. Every scene and situation in this film as as ridiculous as it's opening. The following year Bob finds himself on assignment for National Geographic on a Dutch resort island where he meets Kathleen (Sophie Hilbrand) and inserts himself into her seedy underworld of international drug smugglers. Avoid this film. I would give it a 4.0 out of 10.

not worth watching

[jakethebiggestsnake · 2/10 · 14 March 2008]

This movie is just like every other dutch movie, so if you enjoy movies such as turks fruit and de kleine blonde dood. then you might be okay with this one (even though those two have much better stories and actors) Zomerhitte starts strong enough, but even that one good scene ends up having nothing to do with the storyline. There's a lot of nudity (but me and others just could not find that girl attractive), the dialog is laughable (as we did a lot to the annoyance of other movie watchers), and some of the scenes are so completely random that this is more of an unintentional comedy than anything else (like a random scene in which an owl rips somebody's eye out...it has nothing to do with anything and is only referenced once later in a sentence saying "did you hear what happened...I was there"). the only reason I gave it a 2 is because some of the places they are at look nice...that's it. And the reason I saw it was because we went to the sneak preview (here in Holland we have a strange system regarding sneak previews, you pay less money then for a regular movie and you don't know what movie it is that you will be watching. All you know is that it's a new movie that's not yet in the theaters). My advice is to stay far away from this film, if you really want to see a good dutch movie watch temmink or zwartboek.

One of the worst I ever saw.

[pietterbeek · 1/10 · 12 April 2009]

This film should have never been made. Honestly, I must admit that before I saw it I had some serious doubts. The director is not a great actress, though she did a lot of movies in Holland, and the young woman who took the main part is a TV-personality with a constant smile on the face and not much self-criticism. The actor who played the other main part I recently saw in Bride Flight and although that film is better, he did not convince me than. To start with the the story, I have not read the novel it is based upon, but the script that underlays the film is something that might have been done with in mind kids having a birthday party on a rainy Sunday afternoon, not someone of the same age as the director who likes to watch a good movie. Something really disturbing were the overdubbed dialogues, it was most of the time spoken out loud. My regards go to the cameraman, at least he tried to make something out of it. It is a pity that the film is edited lousy, if not, some scenes were certainly more credible.