Manneken Pis

I saw this movie at a cinema and loved it from the beginning: This mystical Belgian romance centers upon a young man who is unable to utter the three little words his girl friend most wants to hear. Harry, a young man who boards a streetcar driven by pretty Jeanne. She instigates a romance between although she finds him emotionally distanced and unable to commit to her. He would like to get closer. Twinkle in their eyes. This is how it could have been for them and how Harry and Jeanne would have wanted it to be, yet we all know that love comes either too early or too late, but never at the right moment.

After the film, I went home by tram - unfortunately it was not Jeanne driving - Sight.

One of the best Belgian movies ever, featuring one of the best belgian actresses: Antje de Boeck. Very moving comedy/drama of a female tram-driver who falls in love with a bashful guy who blames himself for the death of his parents. Also a surprising soundtrack from rocksinger Stijn Meuris.

I have to admit that I haven't even seen the whole movie, but watched some television late at night and while zapping the magical photography of Manneken Pis caught my attention. From that moment the dreamy pictures and the atmospheric musical score of the movie kept fascinating me. The cute lead actress Antje de Boeck is filmed in such a tender way that it feels as if the whole crew had fallen in love with her. A very charming movie that steals your heart.

This is a very funny movie, not because of jokes or situation comedy, but because all characters are a bit over the top, bordering on surrealism. Actually, they only tell incredibly corny jokes, which is completely in character for them, and therefore funny on another level.

Favourite scene: only in a Belgian movie can a man sitting at a completely ordinary table and eating a completely ordinary dinner look so heartbreakingly pitiful.

Manneken Pis is one of the best European films ever made. All the characters are so plain and true to life, and yet so charming and interesting and... well, beautiful that I find it hard not to fall in love with one of them. Camera work is brilliantly done and provides the film with a surrealist glow. Although there is some deep grieving in the film (Harry's past is very sad, as well as Denise's) there is so much subtle and less subtle humor that Manneken Pis (also the name of a small but famous statue in Bruxelles that waters on passing traffic) is not depressing. I find everything about this film great, but still I'd like to give extra credit to Antje de Boeck, Ann Petersen and especially Frank Vercruyssen, whose looks and personality are heart-melting. Director Frank van Passel and writer Christophe Dirickx have done a marvellous job.