Broer (2016) Reviews

• Yes but also no

  tim-vanlaere2017-10-23

  Recently I dared to watch this movie, "brother", as I wanted to be wrong about Flemish cinema. As it always seems to be a bit blazé and more hype and sustenance. This movie, as all Flemish movies, caused a huge buzz and they build up suspense and every Flemish will dutiful watch it after the celebrity train has came through one of the few towns. Rushing all from the villages to be "part of the buzz" and talk about this "great movie such and such socialite has made" on the workfloor. It's nearly a cultural event. It soon became crystal clear what was attempted but then the dialogues are lame AT BEST. The acting is bland and feels amateurish. The atmospheres are well put in scene, but then the cinemagraphic filters fail so it looks like your next-door teenager did a film project without the material. Which is a shame. You see the car driving but the shots are so limited you really can see "they rented this car, drove it over this road from a fixed point for 10 meters". With todays' accessible technology this is unforgivable. The decors, the few they have were well dressed but are few and short. It makes the universe seem very claustrophobic or filmed in a very small space. I think this is again because of the way it has been filmed making it feel claustrophobic. Then the dialogues: the timing is off. The "dramatic pauses" feel more like the actors don't know what is going on and cannot envision the scene. Or they are so into their mindspace "proving they can do drama" but then overact (or underact). Which breaks any credible flow between the characters and feels like a communion boy reading the paragraph in church. So it looks like they wait for someone to say "ok, say your line WITH AS LITTLE EMOTION POSSIBLE". It's bland, and took away any potential to get sucked into the movie and feel for the characters. As soon the plot became clear I've been long checked out and reasoned the FLemish movie scene is for the Clouseau fans of this world. And that's that. A hugely gravely wasted potential with an inflated hype and selfimportant figures that cannot deliver. Maybe netflix will gladly broadcast this film.

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