Nothing to lose - Die Seele eines Monsters

Theo Maassen; you like him or you don't, there doesn't seem to be a way in between. I don't like him as a comedian, but his acting in this movie is impressive. Involuntary commitment is the subject of this movie and Theo Maassen plays Johan, the person who claims to be unjustly committed. Since he is not able to convince the psychiatrist that he is able to live some sort of a live in society, he escapes to prove that he was unjustly locked up. The movie is about this quest. Soon he is forced to kidnap a young girl to prevent his re-arrest. The interaction between him and the girl, Tessa, is elaborated very well. Theo Maassen is the person who can do that, playing a person you want to trust, but deep inside you never do. He is the most fearsome when he keeps his expression small, his eyes can tell the entire spectrum from evil to pity. Lisa Smit plays the kidnapped girl very well, from pure fright to the Stockholm syndrome induced affection. The plot is also convincing, no spectacular chase, but an end that swings between pure fear and empathy. A very impressive movie, thanks to Theo Maassen.

Faced with life-long detention as a habitual offender, Johan (Theo Maassen) escapes from a mental institution. Tessa (amazing newcomer Lisa Smit) happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. A teenage beauty on her way home from a night at the club, Tessa is right up Johan's aisle and promptly taken hostage. The trip that unfolds is in many ways a road movie, but at the same time, it's a chamber play: There are really only two characters, Johan and Tessa, and it's mostly set in cars. Until very late, we don't know whether Johan is essentially a good guy in a hard place or a dangerous madman out for a kill. Surely he can't be both? TBS is a flawless thriller with a great script brought to life by two terrific actors that keep you on the edge of your seat. Theo Maasen's Johan is an ambivalent character not unlike Edward Norton's altar boy Aaron Stampler in "Primal Fear", but rendered with even more subtlety and wit.

Awesome movie. Just came back from seeing it. Much better then most holy wood blockbusters.

I never really was into dutch movies. But this really was something different. The story is really great, and the main Actor Theo Maassen does a great job. Apparently he's as great at acting as at stand up comedy. I never expected a comedian to do this good in a thriller, but he does a great job! The girl also plays her role really nice.

The only thing some could sometimes annoy me in the movie where the rough cuts. There were ugly cuts throughout the whole movie. They probably chose to do it this way. But they really shouldn't have... But i guess it does have it's charm.

Anyways, great movie. I would give this a 8.3, but since you can only give it round number, i give an 8. Great movie! Must see if you like thriller movies!

I watched TBS as a Sneak Preview in Cinema... I use to go there every week... Sometimes I get very disappointed... But sometimes you're so lucky... ;)

TBS is one of the movies of the latter category... Until recently I wasn't very fond of Dutch movies... They used to have a lot of sex in them, bad acting, bad directing, low quality... But only since two or three months ago I'm starting to change my opinion... TBS is another movie that makes me believe the Dutch can produce quality... Although the plot isn't all too original (an escaped prisoner wants to prove his innocence), the subject of escaping prisoners is quite a resent subject in Holland... The end was kind of unexpected (call me naive) and makes me think this movie might just get a place in my very own gallery of honor... :P The acting is very good... Both Johan and Tessa are very convincing characters... Directing too is done well... Although the movie is not visually stunning, the atmosphere is well set...

Liked it very much... I can really recommend it...

Niels...

Wow, I am impressed. I watched the movie at the premiere in Rotterdam and it really hit me like a hammer. The film isn't about shootouts ans cold blooded murder. Its more a tension, you don't know what is going to happen next. Standup comedian Maassen carries the movie without being funny, although there are a few comic relief moments. Lisa Smit plays a perfect naive 13 year old. Together they search for the truth. Is the man innocent or not? I see a remake in this. The director Pieter Verhoef made also Dennis P. and Van God Los, he is really into crime. But in his movies crime isn't black and white. We see also the good aspects of the criminal. In TBS we see that there are more sides to one story.