Hemel

"Hemel" is a remarkable film--like Greenaway's best for example, what you find disquieting at first--here the raunchy soft porn realism of Hemel's love/sex life--slowly becomes fascinating when you realize that she is actually suffering a great deal. And Hemel, the emotionally stunted tart in this 2012 Dutch release directed by Sascha Polak is certainly promiscuous. Like Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn't grow up, Hemel is happy leading the life of a wayward adolescent. She sleeps with just about anything that comes her way, including one unsavory character who chokes and rapes her and a thin blond Dutchman who makes her shave her private parts before having intercourse. Hemel's cold dad Gijs is at the root of much of her trauma and this film is also a smart psychological study. Hannah Hoekstra as Hemel tows a fine line between sexy and skanky-she bears an uncanny resemblance to Nicole Kidman, both in her fine, uh, features and superb acting ability.

After a slow start that seems to offer superficial gratuitous sex the film deepens and deepens through the courageous and mesmeric performance by Hannah Hoekstra. The cinematography, naturalistic camerawork, pithily Dutch dialogue, uncontrived performances and minimalist sound track manifest Sacha Polak's unpretentious direction. Hans Dagelet seems to fit like a glove into his role as the wearily urbane father.

(In Dutch with English subtitles)

The name "Hemel" as the movie is called is reference to the character played by Hannah Hoekstra, and at the opening she's already making out with someone. And at first, I thought the person she's making out with must either be her boyfriend or her spouse. The next thing I know, Hemel is dancing with some random guy- not the same guy at the opening at a nightclub, and she tries to hit on him with her advances and he's like 'that he is not like that'. Feeling somewhat rejected she then decide to go and sulk at the bar, with the second guy sitting next to her who is much more willing to make out with her, and they just like, met and are like, stranger's- in other words, she is as promiscuous as they come. And while watching this, one can made to wonder where does she get this from? Oh, look, this old guy, Gijs (Hans Dageletin) which she strut around naked sometimes happens to be her dad. Like a parent treating his or her naked baby. There's even a scene when her dad carries her to use the toilet. And if anyone were to wonder why we do not see Hemel like, work anywhere, it is because her dad, successful as a businessman pays for her security, including the flat that she lives in. And while Hemel loves to make out with different guys, her dad who is single loves to make out with different women. In other words, he is a womanizer who does not really know how to settle down. And it sometimes offends her as she sometimes ruins his relationships he has with other women. Directed by a woman by the name of Sacha Polak, as well as the script also by a woman by the name of Helena van der Meulen the movie is self-explanatory and would not have worked if it was directed and written by a man.

I came away feeling that the father did not prepare Hemel for life without him. It's not a skin flick but simply a warning NOT to raise a daughter as this one did. She deserved better.

So stupid with no sense no plot don't waste your time skip this.