Rent a Friend

In this age where people live mostly in isolation emotionally, there really is the yearn for a friend in need from the bottom of most people's hearts. This movie starts off in a seemingly ridiculous way, but in the end you'd think, hey, I'd like to rent a friend some time... I'd definitely recommend this video -- it's dazzling funny with substance.

RENT-A-FRIEND; the title is english, but it's a (typical) Dutch film, by Eddy Terstall. Well, as most of his selfwritten films also this one deals with young adults, esp. assertive women, relationships (where love isn't really jumping off the screen, it is more defined by sex) and the same cast. This film was slighlty different as he had a big budget, yes he had a whole million dollars (rumours go that actors were fully paid !). This is the main difference to his other films. The money was clearly invested in locations, this time not the recognisable 'backyard' of the director, the Amsterdammish neighbourhood 'the Jordan', but the very modern buildings and flats in Rotterdam. This decor suited perfectly the plot, which is a parody on modern society; A writer (Rifka Lodeizen) of a famous soapopera, in which she puts her own life experiences, breaks up with her boyfriend (Marc van Uchelen), because besides painting mexicans from above (a big circle with a small one in it), he doesn't make money. Through the soap opera, boyfriend sees she's sleeping with her boss. He sets up a company, where you can rend friends (no sex) and is very successful. The film is entertaining, more structured, but still lacks sometimes in its actorsachievements and dialogues, but certainly deserves a larger (Dutch) audience than it's getting now. *** out of five

After having seen Rent-a-Friend for the first time (at the Rotterdam Film Festival), the smile at my face didn't disappear for hours. THIS MOVIE IS REALLY FUNNY!!! And there aren't lots of FUNNY Dutch films (except 'Flodder' and 'Abel' (both 1986) or perhaps Terstall's previous movie, 'Based on a Novel'). And wasn't a comedy -first of all- supposed to be funny?

Of course, Terstalls films all have certain things in common. For example, they are -like a cabaret show- more based on fragements and funny scenes than at a great story. The same in Rent-a-Friend. BUT in this film it doesn't matter, because the basic idea (friendship for sale) is simply brilliant.

This is a pretty hilarious film that failed to get the audience it deserved in Holland or abroad. Underdog painter Alfred (Marc van Uchelen) is stuck in a relationship with soap opera writer girlfriend Moniek (Rifka Lodeizen), who does not find his oddball paintings of Mexican riddles amusing any longer. Snippets from this soap opera (acted hilariously badly - think "Boogie Nights") run parallel to their lives. When Moniek has an affair with her boss, poor Alfred finds out through watching the telly! Fed up, he moves to his sister's house and decides to go into business by offering himself for hire as a "friend". This leads to a string of sketches that involve some pretty weird negotiations about the etiquette of professional friendship with an excellent cast of Dutch comedians playing the role of customer. Business booms and Alfred soon finds himself at the head of a company called "Rent-a-Friend". He is joined by a determined young woman (Nadja Hüpscher, omnipresent in Terstall movies) with a Japanese fetish and a fetchingly broad Rotterdam accent. While the company continues to expand in surprising ways, Alfred's personal life also swings up. To complement an already very funny, if slightly episodic movie, the art direction places the story in an unfamiliar, slightly futuristic Holland that doesn't really exist - yet. It goes very well with the deadpan dialogue and the cheerful soundtrack. There are persistent rumours of an American remake, but I seriously doubt whether this can be topped.

Rent a Friend is a satirical accusation on modern day "consumentism". But that criticism is never annoying, the movie never wants to give a new morale. After all, it is a comedy. And a funny one. Arthur offers people in Holland's 2000 to hire him as a True Friend. He starts his own company and it becomes a huge success. At first it all looks a bit unbelievable, but along the film you realize today's society could be that crazy and you would sure believe it all would became true, some day. Some people rated this film with a 1. They are probably the people this movie is all about: people with a lot of luck, who made big money and can only talk about money since that day. And have lost their sense of humor somewhere along that way. Because this movie is one of the funniest movies from Holland in the last five years.