As a Belgian, I am subject to article 15 of the Belgian Constitution, which states : "Every citizen shall review at least ten Belgian movies or series a year. So get a move on, chubby. We know where you live, we know where your old grey-haired mother lives."
Nah, I'm kidding - article 15 is unremarkable stuff, it just exhorts us to invade China as a stepping stone to world domination. So that's all right there.
So, on to a very recent series of mixed Belgian/Dutch descent, although mixed Flemish/Dutch might be more accurate. I watched the whole of the first season, which, I suppose, means the whole of the series, since it is hard to think of a follow-up. "Grenslanders" is a vast, sprawling, baroque tale about a gang of criminals who operate in a region along the Belgian/Dutch border. The gang prides itself on its centuries-old lineage, since it descends (or pretends to descend) from a historical band of wreckers, smugglers and pirates. Adapting to modern circumstances, it has discovered a new brand of human cargo : the many poverty-stricken immigrants desperate to make it to Europe, who can be treated and sold as slaves.
The series, by the way, takes a dim view of the various police and customs services, especially those working along the border : it's supposed to be a steaming, dystopic mess made up of laziness, racism, lust, complacency and corruption. I strongly suspect that the reality is less bleak, given the fact that here in the Low Countries most of us go to bed and wake up with non-cut throats.
Like I've said, it's a vast and sprawling tale. Opinions will differ but I for one would have deleted some of the storylines or plot details - I like the baroque period well enough, but too much is too much. The series also suffers from the contemporary "misery" disease : nowadays one can hardly turn on the television without encountering a character with a blind wife, a paralyzed daughter, a drug-addicted son, a missing cat and a dying dog. (The turtle in the backyard might have cancer, too.)
This does not mean that "Grenslanders" is entirely without interest. There are some nicely sinister and grotesque characters and the subject, sadly enough, is so topical that it hums with relevance. The series also includes some razor-sharp pieces of dialogue, plus one of the most insanely twisted marriage proposals I have ever seen. We're moving into "Richard III" territory here... The acting too is good. Special praise goes to Monic Hendrickx and Wim Willaert, who throw themselves with great gusto into seriously wild and venomous performances.
Nah, I'm kidding - article 15 is unremarkable stuff, it just exhorts us to invade China as a stepping stone to world domination. So that's all right there.
So, on to a very recent series of mixed Belgian/Dutch descent, although mixed Flemish/Dutch might be more accurate. I watched the whole of the first season, which, I suppose, means the whole of the series, since it is hard to think of a follow-up. "Grenslanders" is a vast, sprawling, baroque tale about a gang of criminals who operate in a region along the Belgian/Dutch border. The gang prides itself on its centuries-old lineage, since it descends (or pretends to descend) from a historical band of wreckers, smugglers and pirates. Adapting to modern circumstances, it has discovered a new brand of human cargo : the many poverty-stricken immigrants desperate to make it to Europe, who can be treated and sold as slaves.
The series, by the way, takes a dim view of the various police and customs services, especially those working along the border : it's supposed to be a steaming, dystopic mess made up of laziness, racism, lust, complacency and corruption. I strongly suspect that the reality is less bleak, given the fact that here in the Low Countries most of us go to bed and wake up with non-cut throats.
Like I've said, it's a vast and sprawling tale. Opinions will differ but I for one would have deleted some of the storylines or plot details - I like the baroque period well enough, but too much is too much. The series also suffers from the contemporary "misery" disease : nowadays one can hardly turn on the television without encountering a character with a blind wife, a paralyzed daughter, a drug-addicted son, a missing cat and a dying dog. (The turtle in the backyard might have cancer, too.)
This does not mean that "Grenslanders" is entirely without interest. There are some nicely sinister and grotesque characters and the subject, sadly enough, is so topical that it hums with relevance. The series also includes some razor-sharp pieces of dialogue, plus one of the most insanely twisted marriage proposals I have ever seen. We're moving into "Richard III" territory here... The acting too is good. Special praise goes to Monic Hendrickx and Wim Willaert, who throw themselves with great gusto into seriously wild and venomous performances.
