kjlunde

Cannot quite understand why anyone would like to produce, direct or act in a film that does not even try to convey the world of Homer's epic. It feels more like a Hollywood Western - or a WW II blockbuster - silly action, funny costumes and pompous, overcooked dialogue. One of the biggest disappointments of the past few decades, considering the resources and talent put into the film. Not sure the director had any clue what he wanted to achieve.

As is often the case with Dutch films, this is a pedestrian, feelgood story of everyday life, its ups and downs, told at an even pace. There is no great drama, no deep thought, no visual fireworks. The characters are sympathetic, the story is speckled with cute moments, and the actors just manage to keep the story moving. It is half-hearted attempt at a quirky romcom, but simply fails to engage the viewer, and one does not really care how the film ends. Actually, with an obligatory party scene with sweeping camera shots of the cheerful cast, freezing into a group portrait.

Every time I watch this movie, I am struck by how it works on so many levels. As a spectacle, as a psychological thriller, and even as social commentary on our self-absorbed, hedonistic age. How would today's social media 'influencers' respond when their enablers tire of them and their lifestyle becomes threatened?