Afblijven

Poorly directed film. There's never any real drama. Everything feels stiff and scripted.

Example: when Melissa arrives in an ambulance at the hospital, the nurse tells Jordi he can't join the hospital crew in the elevator. Dead words. Jordi should have been trying hard to get into the elevator with the medical staff. After all he's very concerned about Melissa!

Another example: when Melissa's mother blames her husband for his daughter's disappearance, he calmly replies "oh, so all my fault". Any father would have exploded at such an accusation coming from his wife!

I'm sure a better director would have been able to get better performances from these promising actors.

This is a film that is basically an after-school special television quality flick supposed to show us the horrors of Ecstasy but it lacks the balls to show anything real and the entire thing is just a lack of plot, talent and accuracy. The whole thing feels wrong- as if the people writing the script and directing the scenes have no clue about the subject matter or don't have the balls to present it in a realistic format.

The dancing is pretty sad for the most part- the plot is about a young hip hop dancer who aspires for greatness, only to meet a good looking dancer with lots of Ecstasy. After that happens we get a lot of standard issue home drama scenes- the clueless concerned parents, the rebellious addict teen, etc.. this is all cookie cutter suburban viewpoint garbage- it is poorly acted, lacks any real detail or realism to the subject matter and all in all is a complete and utter waste of time. Go see "Fucking Amal" instead.

It's an excellent movie: the tension is clearly sensible and there is even a moral: don't touch any drugs: it ruins your life. You know, these days many youth can be influenced by their friends to take drugs and sometimes it's hard to say no. That's why this film shows us, it's the best thing to do! It's not a movie like Eragon or something, so it's not a very spectacularly movie, but it certainly is a good movie! The only problem is, it's spoken in dutch. So people who can't understand dutch won't understand it... Even most Belgians will have some problems to understand it at the beginning, but in the middle of the movie they don't have those problems anymore... So just: it's a movie that has to be seen

This is a film noir in my opinion. A drama about young people (16-18) and it reflects the problems they have these day's: either you belong to a certain group or you don't. In some groups you're cool if you go along using drugs, in others you'll be banned. It's a story of children of said ages that fall in love but don't know how to cope with that feeling. It's a movie about ambitions and parents that don't listen to well to their adolescence. Parents that keep their children on a leach and be suspicious. Not an easy job anyway. You see the normal everyday problems of families these days. Furthermore, good acting, hip-hop music by Brainpower, good camera works and editing. This is a Dutch film and a typical one too: meaning no nonsense, toilet scenes, frustrated mumblings and drugs. Reality detail: when using the internet to chat, you clearly see the popular MSN configurations. Spoken language is Dutch, but on the DVD you can have subtitles in Dutch (for Flamish viewers), English and French. Spoken language to too harsh, no violence, no sex, no death although the players do their best to get there. Great film.

"Afblijven" is a Dutch teen drama that tackles the serious issue of drug abuse within the context of a young girl's aspirations and friendships. The film centers on Melissa, an aspiring dancer, who faces the temptations and pressures of drug use as she navigates her teenage years.

The movie does a commendable job of highlighting the struggles and vulnerabilities of adolescence. Melissa's journey is portrayed with a sense of realism, and her character's passion for dance adds an engaging layer to the storyline. The performances by the young cast are sincere, with some standout moments that capture the angst and confusion of growing up.

However, "Afblijven" falls short in its execution. The narrative sometimes feels disjointed, and the pacing can be uneven, making it difficult to maintain a consistent emotional impact. The film's approach to its central theme of drug abuse can feel a bit heavy-handed and lacks the nuance needed to truly resonate.

While "Afblijven" has its heart in the right place and offers some poignant moments, it ultimately struggles to find a balance between its message and storytelling. It's a watchable film that brings attention to important issues but doesn't fully deliver on its potential.