Oesters van Nam Kee

Movie based on the book "Oysters at Nam Kee", giving a look inside the dynamics of the youth in multi-cultural suburbs and done very well.

Good acting, good music, nice shots of Amsterdam.

Story of a 17-year old that goes to college (Gymnasium) but living in an environment of immigrant youth with a much less bright outlook on the future. He runs into a girl who turns out to be a club-dancer. But he falls in love, and so does she.

It's just wonderful, and it should always be this way. But well, most of us are afraid of getting what we really dream of. So are these two young people.

I think this film has been cut to pieces. Having seen the deleted scenes (which contained most of its psychological development) I think the director chose speed over credibility. It seriously damages the movie. Sometimes you just don't have a clue why these characters do what they do. The storyline between Berry and his dad is amputated. The love story lacks development. In a commentary the director says that an uncut version (including even less revealing sex scenes) would've added up to almost three hours. On a DVD I might give that a try.

Although it probably wouldn't make up for the acting. I loved to watch both Katja and Egbert, but they just weren't convincing enough. Except maybe for the bed scenes. But hey, it's a known fact that they were having these both on and off set.

Not a good movie. But I liked looking at it anyway, in a silly Dutch way.

Unlike stated earlier it is not true that nightclubdancer Thera OD's. She has been epileptic since childhood, and she is convinced Berry will leave her because of that, so to prevent that she leaves him before he can hurt her. Also their lifestyle with a lot of drinking and dancing is bringing out the epilepsia, so Thera's mother is also pushing Berry away, and after a while he is unable to contact her. Thera decides what's best for him, and he is unable to understand and goes crazy.

The acting in this movie is great, especially Thera (Katja Schuurman) and Berry (Egbert-Jan Weeber). It is no surprise that in real life they started a (short) romance after filming 'de oesters van Nam Kee', it shows in the movie that something real is going on between them.

Although the fine acting Thera and Berry can't save this movie. The script is not convincing and some of the things happening are so surprising that they become too made up.

And it left me with a sad feeling afterwards. That is one thing where the movie succeeds. To loose your first big and true love is traumatic.

the critiques for this film were terrible. having read the book (which I personally think is terrible too) i was surprised. The film is not terrible. Although this 'feature film' looks a bit too much like a tv-series and the script and dialogues and acting are not good at all, in general i found the film to be entertaining and not boring or annoying as everyone said. There is even one really great thing about this film: The soundtrack by Arling & Cameron.

I was one of the happy few to catch the first 35mm screening of Oesters. With recent Dutch "blockbusters" like Costa! and Ik ook van jou, expectations are very high. Recent rumours that some explicit sex scenes were deleted gave it the extra attention it needed. Yes needed cause the movie of its own isn't all that. I can't tell u to much cause the story is so thin i might give away everything and we wouldn't want that would we. In short, boy meets girl, they hit it of, girl wants to end it, boy gets obsessed with girl and does some very stupid things.....that's it really. I didn't like it too much but if you want to see Katja naked it's the movie for u.

5 out of 10