The movie defends a valuable idea, to wit the idea that both Flemings and Walloons should stop their unbecoming bickering and try to cooperate instead. It would be very hard (and very stupid) for me to disagree : as a Belgian with both Flemish and Walloon blood, I owe my existence to north-south cooperation of the most romantic kind. Therefore I give "Brabançonne" at least some stars. Make love not war, you people !
Having said this : "Brabançonne" has but few other charms to recommend it. The characters constantly break into song - think light, entertaining evergreens in French or Dutch - but many of the actors can't sing for toffee (or cake. or fudge. or pie.) By the same token many of the actors can't dance, perform stunts or move around a room convincingly ; there is a performance / adaptation of "ça plane pour moi", to quote but one example, that will haunt me to my dying day. This pretty much kills off the "musical" aspect of the movie. The "comedy" aspect isn't anything to write home about, either : the story is unsubtle and the jokes and dialogues are predictable.
If you would like to learn more about Belgian popular music - and why not, there are rich pickings to be found - I suggest that you leave "Brabançonne" be and begin your search on the internet or in the music shop. To remain within the movie's territory, I firmly recommend "ça plane pour moi" (a hymn to drug-fuelled mania), "Tombe la neige" (to be sung in a voice of manly disappointment, while biting back sobs) or "Verloren hart, verloren droom" (to be bellowed in a voice of manly despair, in between large swigs of beer).
Having said this : "Brabançonne" has but few other charms to recommend it. The characters constantly break into song - think light, entertaining evergreens in French or Dutch - but many of the actors can't sing for toffee (or cake. or fudge. or pie.) By the same token many of the actors can't dance, perform stunts or move around a room convincingly ; there is a performance / adaptation of "ça plane pour moi", to quote but one example, that will haunt me to my dying day. This pretty much kills off the "musical" aspect of the movie. The "comedy" aspect isn't anything to write home about, either : the story is unsubtle and the jokes and dialogues are predictable.
If you would like to learn more about Belgian popular music - and why not, there are rich pickings to be found - I suggest that you leave "Brabançonne" be and begin your search on the internet or in the music shop. To remain within the movie's territory, I firmly recommend "ça plane pour moi" (a hymn to drug-fuelled mania), "Tombe la neige" (to be sung in a voice of manly disappointment, while biting back sobs) or "Verloren hart, verloren droom" (to be bellowed in a voice of manly despair, in between large swigs of beer).
