Terug Naar Morgen

This movie is the debut of writer and director Lukas Bossuyt.

Two scientists discover a way to send back messages to the past. Although they don't really stress the scientific point of view, it's still has a lot of credibility and you don't feel like you're in a science fiction movie. They soon realize they can't take advantage of their discovery.

However they try to change what went wrong in the past so it could benefit themselves. Things didn't work out the way they planned. The end is unexpected, not the typical happy ending.

I personally really liked the movie. You have to keep focus though because there is one character who is presumed to be older than what he looks like in the movie (Tom should be 25 years older). The movie is shot in Leuven, a city well known for its college students. The music goes well with it. Certainly a recommendation, nevertheless it's regrettable that they didn't recast "older Tom".

You expect that if you mess with the past, you may not get what you want. Some changes from messing with the timeline may be for the better or worse so you expect twists.

However, they are nicely found as you can find at the end more than just one kind of closing loop.

I really enjoyed watching this movie. First of all there's the music that perfectly sets the scene every time. Then thete's the way the things are being filmed (such as the opening scene, nicely done really). Then there's the splendid actor performances.The details that were put into perspective. The fact that it's actually sci-fi but then again not. Emotions play the essential role and that's what makes this film so great. I was from beginning till end sucked into the different emotions the main actors are going through as if I was the one going through it. High quality in other words! To be proud of as a Belgian :-) Only one little word of critic maybe: why did the woman need to be Dutch instead of Flemish? Because of investments maybe...

Changing the past and adapting the present is something that has always fascinated me. I've seen tons of movies about it - Back to the Future, Twelve Monkeys, Mr. Nobody, Toto le Heros, Donnie Darko. And we can now add Back to Tomorrow to that list.

The film begins as an exciting adventure story (which is somewhat like the book De Zevensprong by Tonke Dragt): a student in the wonderful Leuven receives bizarre e-mails from an unknown person who apparently can see into the future. However, that history has a surprising end, and then we are suddenly 25 years later and a timid professor of quantum physics is working with his overenthusiastic assistant on a way to manipulate time. For example, they could send electrons to the past, and why not suddenly e-mails?

Giving away more of the plot would spoil the viewing pleasure. Because the trump card of Back to Tomorrow is that the classic story structure is exchanged for a winding path full of surprises and unexpected twists. The amazing aspect that science offers plays a major role in this, but so do the beautifully developed (and interpreted) characters, the humour, the tragedy and the phenomenal details (I want an Einstein and Hawking head too!)

Anyone who says playing with time also says paradoxes, so Back to Tomorrow is another film that will spark hours of debate among enthusiasts. And that's just what I love so much. So there is a good chance that I will watch this movie again soon. Because this compelling, swirling, exciting, beautifully portrayed, in short, atypical Flemish film, is one that you can chew on for a long time.

"Terug naar Morgen" is that kind of movie that sticks to your mind for some days. The story (a scientist fiddling with the past because of emotional reasons) is well thought off, has several layers and sideways. Watching this movie is like reading a good intriguing book. The performances of the actors are excellent (I liked for example very much the way every character has a slightly different personality in the different time episodes). The movie has been made with a lot of attention to details, which invites to watch it a second time. On top of this, it is very pleasant and symbolic that the movie has been shot in the famous and beautiful Belgian university town of Leuven. In short: recommended !