Dutch film so bad Amsterdam won’t show it
Don’t get me wrong, there are some excellent Dutch films out there, some of which even helped me learn the language before I immigrated here many moons ago. However, if Dutch distribution companies and cinemas think a film is so bad they call it ‘a low point in Dutch film history’, then it must be some 50 shades of shitty. Surprise, it’s a total ’50 shades of grey’ rip-off if we believe the media because I already planned to ignore the original for as long as I live.
The film is called ‘De Overgave’ (roughly ‘The Surrender’) and here’s the trailer if you must). Major cinemas in Amsterdam have snubbed it, arthouse cinemas who are known to appreciate an underappreciated film have turned it down and the film’s Amsterdam distribution company only made 5 or 6 copies instead of the planned 50 or 60 because it’s, well, shite.
The directeur Paul Ruven is apparently well known for writing books about how to copy Hollywood film successes. Gosh.
(Link: www.parool.nl, photo of film cans by tallfoot, some rights reserved)
I love Dutch cinema as well. A couple of my favorites are Spoorlos, Karakter and Antonia’s Line. Spoorlos was remake in America with Kiefer Southerland in the protagonist role, and with a happier ending.