Rent a Friend

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 Film perfectly deals with human psycology, needs and wants, related to Friendship.

We all feel the need to share, to express ourself, and maybe even more, we are in need to feel "recieving our expression is recieved" by other's. In search of our Self, we need others, we need friends; yet when we consider their "opinions" ragarding us as true, the I (my self) is lost!

We can feel lost when we have no friend, thus "how to get one?" What is friendship? What are friends for?; (mis)use of friendship? ethics? Have you - the viewer - investigated the use of uselesness already? What are your mental conditions you live in.

Yes, they (all involved in this movie) were able to bring to us, the sadness behind experiencing all (false and true) aspects, with ease and laughter. Cult for a cocooned society !

Am I really the first, and so far only person to comment on this film? This only goes to show how unjustly ignored (by the public, not the press) this film is/was.

The idea on which Rent-a-friend is based is brilliant. Haven't we all at one time or another longed for a friend to suit our every (non-sexual) need?

Yes, the acting is at times somewhat wooden, but that only adds to the whole comedic situation in my opinion. Yes, the dialogues are cheesy, sometimes verging on the ridiculous, but I would only describe that as being 'camp' rather than bad writing.

The situations in which friend Alfred finds himself are often hilarious. (Or is it that only a Dutch person can laugh about a man seeking a friend to watch German soccer with?). The whole development of Alfred's ploy to make money to impress Moniek into a multi national operation is still believable, and like I said before, funny.

And funny is what a comedy should be.

Rent a friend is lighthearted, a bit over the top, but certainly not worse than a lot of so called comedies we get to see most of the time. I recommend it. Even if it is on video, because the film has long left the theatres.

Everybody seems to think that this movie is funny and well-acted and stuff. Let me assure you: it is not! Just because it is a little better than the average dutch movies, doesn't mean that it is a GOOD movie. I saw it after reading all this reviews at IMDb. All those actors look like if they are acting in a soap-show. Yeah, it's all about that, but it is not meant to look like it all the time... So, don't watch this movie, it's a waste of your time, if you want to see a dutch movie, watch LEK!

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.