Crepuscule

All you need to make a movie is a gun and a girl

. . . . . .

Being rooted in the films of the 1950s/'60s/'70s, and with a liking for movies of even earlier decades, I approach contemporary items with extreme caution. 'Crepuscule' came to my attention quite by chance. It is fairly short (an hour and ten minutes); there is no dialogue and no story. It's a study of loneliness, I suppose. Nellie Benner plays a young woman who arrives in the city (Amsterdam), takes a room and gets a job in a carwash. She is isolated a bit odd and rather frightened, and her mental state deteriorates from bad to worse. Ms Benner handles her character's changes of personality very well, and makes us care about her. The scenes are thoughtfully shot in black-and-white and beautifully lit; the music and sound effects are interesting. It's a haunting film; the noir-ish rainy streets and night lights and many other images stay with you. I can't fault it.

In the 1960-s, American Kenneth Anger got famous with his 'Underground'-movies: a chain of impressions, making a film to be experienced -- and not a film to be understood.

'Underground' is very rare in the Dutch cinema, but with 'Crepuscule' we have an example. Set in the Amsterdam of 2009, well shot in black/white, and with a convincing lead by Nellie Benner -- although she uses quite a lot of nudity to make her point.

'Crépuscule' is French for twilight; the title indicates what this film is about. Its very thin story hardly contributes; its fine music surely makes this film work.