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Land van Lubbers (2016)
Failed short to its potential
In this overview of Ruud Lubbers' career as state secretary (undersecretary) and prime minister, we are offered an excellent performance by Guy Clemens, who portraits the protagonist at a young age. Even their voices are very much alike. Most other historic characters, however, give any viewer who already know them a reason to cringe at the absolutely horrible acting performances.
Like in most biographies, Lubbers is often shown as the smartest and often only reasonable voice in political situations. Yet in this miniseries this is achieved more by ridiculing his counter parts rather than elevating Lubbers himself. The viewer is not granded the usual arsenal of memorable quotes and high level discussions.
Comparing this to film biographies like Gandhi (1982) or Lincoln (2011) does not put this miniseries in a good light, but perhaps that too high a bar a Dutch production. Yet I cannot help but think that a little more effort from the actors and the script writer could have elevated this production to a much higher level.
Given the fact that the director has admitted he had a free hand in filling the gaps of historic knowledge with his own fantasy, one is disadvised to take details and encounters as historic facts. Nonetheless, the miniseries does seem to give an accurate general impression of Lubbers, his challenges, both professional as well as in marriage, and his notorious casanova behaviour.
American Beauty (1999)
This movie belongs in one's medicine chest.
If you want to praise a movie to the skies, how do you begin...? These days it seems all movies need to have a morale. Without one, the movie is doomed to criticism, being too flat, or too simple. American Beauty has a morale; a morale from here to Tokyo. But it's not that obvious.
There are several round characters in this movie, all of them are missing something in their lives, and they're all dealing with it in a different manner, one giving a better result than the other. Lester Burnham, the main character, is basically in a mid-life crisis, but there isn't a better way to deal with that than his way. He finds a way to put things into perspective and relive the happiest days of his life.
But my real hero is Ricky Fits. His confidence, his soberness, how he doesn't care about what everyone thinks of him, how he rules over his own life, and how he sees beauty in everything makes him my big example in life.
Since I've seen this movie my motto in life is: "Today is the first day of the rest of my life." And since I've seen this movie I too see more beauty everything that's around me. I started making pictures of the freakiest things that make my wife look to me with a very questioning face. And still this movie works as antidepressant. Whenever I see this movie, even again, I just feel better. I brighten up. I try not to watch it too often - I think I've seen it about five times now - because I'm afraid the effect's gonna wear out.
I hope I don't give you too much expectations in case you haven't seen it yet. It's probably all just personal. But please do try to understand what I said.
When the Light Comes (1998)
Great psychology!
When Ellen went to Spitsbergen, she went for adventure. She also expected Lars, her host, to be a rough husky adventurer, but was deceived as Lars turned out to be a silent clumsy tinkerer.
At the beginning this movie didn't seem very special to me. But along the way the psychology of Lars and Ellen was getting more and more interesting.
Then when the end came the movie took my breath away. Probably because this movie happened for real as well as how realistic it was filmed I could completely imagine myself in Lars' place (contrary to 'Hollywood hits' which are often too cinematic for such empathy).
Finally, the movie also shows how it's like to live in Spitsbergen: rough, but not adventurous.