De Patrick

This is an absolute superb debut film with a very original story line, but most of all so well acted with sometimes even kind of unexpected plot twists. The location in itself a true original sensation, although it's a nudist camping that doesn't change a thing at all, it's put in so logically. On a normal camping one would have been able to "hide" the hammer. The main character absolutely steals the show. You see all his subdued emotions and his abnormal obsession with a stolen hammer. Some scenes are so beautifully and surrealistically shot. Without giving anything away: a scene in the forest with almost all camping guests is beyond sublime. An absolute must see. During the end credits we even get to hear a great Alex Harvey song, not sung by himself, alas Highly recommended, but not to those who are used to who only watch formulaic and predictable and sappy movies. Sometimes heroes don't need much action.

This movie was a real gem. I expected it to be a typical Flemish movie filled with cheap laughs, instead it's a visually impressive masterpiece with some laughs, some tears, and a very moving story about loss. It is also beautifully shot and well acted (except for Hannah Hoekstra, a Dutch actress who for some reason is trying to pass off a horrible Flemish accent). I disliked Kevin Janssens before this movie, but since seeing him in De Patrick he has become one of my favourite actors, and I respect him for being brave enough to take on the role. This movie has become on of my favourite movies, and I think Tim Mielants is one of Belgium's most talented moviemakers.

The story is solid, polished and straightforward as a nail, but hits you hard like a mallet. I'm not too hot on the nudist aspect, but hey, that's just my blunt opinion. Anyways, I'll give it six hammer out of ten.

Rather sweet and a little wacky if not laugh-a-minute strange film set in a nudists campsite. Patrick works with his old parents in the place in the woods but prefers to be on his own making chairs. There are two terrible things that happen. First his hammer from the set is most missing and also his father who dies. Because of the two missing for Patrick he is not of the most misplaced of the one most important at all. The splendid and unusual look of the photography the look caused by Tim Mielants on his 'Alexa Mini' the compact lightweight camera he has been most famous caught on TV Series episodes on The Terror and Peaky Blinders.

"De Patrick" After watching this movie people question "is it a Drama or a Comedy"? Others Question if its about "dealing with the loss of his father" or "Trying to find his hammer", or is the search for the Hammer the way he deals with his fathers death.

What i think? I think that many times it's not about where your coming from or where your going to, but about what the travel brought you. So i think that the director wanted us to struggle with that question to keep us interested and wandering, and he succeeded.