Zus & zo

I had promised myself to see every Dutch movie there is, after seeing the wonderful "Spoorloos" and "Soldaat Van Oranje". Zus & Zo came up as the first Dutch movie I found on DVD with English subtitles, and I couldn't miss it. Well, good thing I didn't. I enjoyed every single frame of it. It's really light, yet close to being a masterpiece. It's not the least bit surprising that this movie was nominated for an Academy Award, it's really great. By the way, I don't want to mislead anyone: It has absolutely nothing to do with the two movies in question, it's 100% different. I just mean it's *almost* as fantastic as they are.

Zus & Zo is not exactly about gays, nor is it about family hardships; it's mostly about feelings and true love. The pure feelings of two men for each other, and the not so pure feelings of 3+1* women for money.(*One of the women is a little more "innocent"; the sisters, however, are not quite that pleasant.*) But the ending comes such that you do not end up hating the women in question. That's for me to say, the rest is for you to watch. And DO watch it, you won't be disappointed. I repeat: It's not a movie for gays, I liked it very much as a straight guy. And Monique Hendrickx is a goddess. I'll marry her when I grow up ;-) I just had to add that!

8.5 out of 10 for Zus & Zo.

This movie once again proves the viability of Dutch cinema. It has wit, pace and some very endearing and convincing characters. It shifts through both serious and lightweighted issues without ever losing balance, whilst maintaining a number of different viewpoints (right vs. wrong, true vs. untrue), and perhaps its highest achievement lies in the way it treats a taboo subject (which I will not reveal here) with daring and care. I was particularly touched by the way the two main themes of family and identity were brought to life. I left the cinema just wanting to see my brother and parents again and see how they were doing. It was that good.

Even in The Netherlands, Dutch movies hardly ever get the attention and number of viewers as movies from the United States. I don't know what the box office results for 'Zus & zo' finally will be. But it is very likely that the American remake (RCV bought the rights) of this movie will be more successful than the Dutch original.

This is unjust. 'Zus & zo' is a romantic comedy, with a soap like story-line, and is very funny, yet moving - and thus nothing like a soap at all. The timing of the actors - very important for a comedy - is good, as most actors know each other from the same theater company. Every character - both male and female - gets it's share of scepsis by sharp observation of their manners, yet the director managed to prevent over-the-top acting.

'Zus & zo' provides a real life mirror for everyone. Choose your own character to take 'example' from: one of the three jealous sisters in their thirties, not satisfied with their lives, but also not able to change it. Or one of the husbands, one addicted to women, or the other being a doormat suffering under his wife's hospitality for just about every one who needs help. Or the timid gay brother, marrying a woman (!) to inherit his parents summer residence in Portugal. Or the optimist (opportunist?) bride-to-be Bo, much more self-confident than the three sisters and apparently without a weak point.

Or just enjoy this tragi-comic portrait of a slightly derailed family.

an oscar nomination? why? this is first of all a play...not a movie. i don't think the people who made this ever heard of the "don't tell them, show them" concept. and if only the dialog was funny. but i didn't think it was. i missed the most important thing in this movie, the clear reason i should care (or understand) why the sisters wanted to stop the wedding. Yes, to keep the hotel. But why, other then for sentimental reasons, make such a big fight about it. There should have been a stronger reason for them to try and stop the wedding. All in all, it was a boring experience for me because i didn't care about (nor understood) the people and it just wasn't funny.

I love foreign cinema; in fact, most of my favorite films are not in English. And I consider European cinema to be better, to be simply art. Therefore, I saw this film. I have seen some great films, but this is simply boring and in some parts tasteless. This film is original, it is good, but you end up sleeping. I was not expecting to watch some huge blockbuster, I was aware that this was a slow and pacific film. In fact, I have watched slow films, and actually loved them (Los in translation, Talk to her, Dogville, All about my mother) and this film is simply tasteless. It seems to be washed down, the performances where not very good. I can't believe films such as 'Los lunes al sol', didn't get a nomination, because of this film. The same thing happened at this year with TWIN SISTERS getting nominated. It was slooooooow, boring and the typical Jewish film. Don't expect to watch a masterpiece; in fact you loose your time with this film…..