Borgman

Borgman is a prime example of the difference between Mainstream Hollywood and European Cinema. Movies that don't tie up loose ends and force feed the audience. Movies that pay respect to the intelligence of the viewer. Borgman never really explains anything during the movie which will put a lot of people off, but if you are prepared to look at the minor details, you will appreciate the film for what it is, a deeply psychological look at social classes and many other elements that will get the audience thinking and ultimately form a discussion. With some truly unsettling scenes being complimented by dry humour, Borgman gives off a certain charm that will captivate the viewer right through the two hour running time! Great acting performances along with some surreal images gives Borgman that unique and creative edge, within a world of movies that lack anything new!

Weird and unnerving are a couple words which accurately describe the experience that is watching this film. What the film means is anyone's guess, and nothing is really spelled out or explained. This actually is a good thing, though, because the viewer can take away from it what they want. The story is about a vagrant named Borgman who insinuates himself into this affluent family's home and slowly makes life a living hell for them. The overall tone of the film is one of unease, mystery and black humor, peppered with a shock every now and then. There are several scenes which may stick with you long after finishing it, and there are a few that are still with me now. Comparing this to anything else is futile, except that if you like weird, disturbing movies (like I do), then you will probably love this. From a quality standpoint, everything is well-shot and all of the actors, including the children, give good performances as far as I can tell (Dutch isn't a language I speak). The tone of the film is also set very well by the score, which is off-kilter and dissonant. Since it is best to go into this film with as little information as possible, I'll end here. Suffice it to say, if you're brave enough to give this a try, you might end up liking it as I did.

Borgman is queer piece of cinema, challenging right form the off with the opening scenes of pursuit which point in a certain direction, but be prepared for your feelings to change as the story progresses. Writer / director Alex van Warmerdam's film bars very few holds, and yet it does not sensationalise increasingly troubling and occasionally brutal events, presenting them in a frank and open way, inviting the viewer to judge the participants and their respective fates. You would do well to prepare yourself to feel little sympathy for any of the characters, and yet there is something compelling about the spartan direction and the economy of the performances that will hold your attention to the end. Jan Bijvoet as the titular Camiel Borgman and Hadewych Minis as Marina are stand-outs, and deserve to be seen by a wider audience. One possible conclusion is that Warmerdam's script presents a black-and-white position in reaching a verdict, but in reality there are Lynchian levels of grey and plenty of scope for interpretation over a glass of wine (or two) afterwards. Well worth seeking out for those of a less delicate sensibility.

Don't expect the movie to answer many (or any?) of your questions. There is a beginning that is not explained at all, which introduces us to our lead. We don't know him yet, so we have no idea what he's up to, why those people were "looking" for him. We might get it during the course of the movie, though still not entirely.

The acting is superb, even when you shake you head not getting why people would behave like that (there are a couple of deleted scenes, one that "explains" why the Nanny did something or reacted in a strange way after an encounter). It's strange to say the least, but that's intended. The world we dive into looks like the one we live in, but it isn't really. Still the horror feels real. Even if you don't see many things happening (explicitely), you will be confused by a lot of things. You'll either like that or loathe it. Which was exactly what the movie (maker) was aiming for ... Job well done then

One of the best films of the Philadelphia Film Festival, Borgman is a hilarious, darkly satirical, mysterious, sexy, fascinating, and surreal allegory for social upheaval.

In the beginning, there was armed men looking to kill underground hobos. We will never find out why they want to kill them or why the hobos are underground (or why the hobos have nice cellphones). One of them, Camiel Borgman, escapes and warns his friends. He washes himself at a gas station and begins wandering down an extremely affluent street with the intention of getting a proper bath in one of them, simply by asking at the front door. One house in particular strikes his fancy, and he begins a slow process of worming his way into the household and the lives of everyone who lives there.

But that's when things get REALLY strange.

This film is destined for hopefully a good deal of international attention in the art-house circuit due to its exceptional storytelling, unpredictability and very weird plot.

With the matter-of-fact way it presents absurd goings-on, it reminded me of Dogtooth a little.