Amor e Dor

This film has a most unusual setting, the Chassidic community of Antwerp, Belgium. The protagonist is a young Jewish (but non-observant) woman, who gets a job taking care of the children of a Chassidic family, and has a humanising effect on all, of them, including the imposing and forbidding father, albeit with an unfortunate side effect.

The film's title refers to a sub-plot, in which the protagonist's father digs holes in various spots around Antwerp, seeking for some trunks of personal effects he buried while fleeing from the Nazis.

After the film was over, I realized a few flaws in the plot (Unlike one of your other reviewers, I did not find the nude swimming scene unpleasant at all. It serves nicely to contrast the protagonist's lack of inhibition with the sexual prudery of the Chassidim.). For one thing, the concierge of the building in which the Chassidic family lives is an anti-Semite, who constantly harasses the family. He denies them access to the elevator, blocks the stairs and even injures one of the children. Yet nobody thinks of complaining the the building's owner about him.

Also, the name of the protagonist is Chaya. Yet it never occurs to her best friend, until it comes up in conversation, that she might be Jewish.

In 1972, in Antwerp, Chaya (Laura Fraser) is a liberal Jewish student of philosophy living alone. Her father (Maximiliam Schell) spends his time trying to find two pieces of luggage he buried in the Second World War, like he could bring his past back. Her mother (Marianne Saegebrecht) spends her time preparing cakes and sewing, trying not to think in life. In order to raise some money to pay for her rent, Chaya accepts to work as the nanny of two twin babies in an orthodox Jewish home, recommended by her friend Mr. Apfelschnitt (Chaim Topol) to the babies' parents, Mrs. Kalman (Isabella Rossellini) and Mr. Kalman (Jeroen Krabbé). Indeed Chaya feels some kind of affection for their four years old son Simcha (Adam Monty), a boy with serious emotional problems and without speech. Meanwhile, the concierge of the building (David Bradley) is a fascist who hates Jews and Chaya faces him without fear. The story has a very tragic end. This film is a very sad story about losses. The direction and performances of the cast are magnificent. Just as a curiosity, the Brazilian distributor LK-Tel Video wrote the following information in the front cover of the video: `Critics of the site www.imdb.com * As Good As The Schindler's List* ` I noted they used part of the comment made by the user `Sailor Leila (sailor-leila@shomar.co.uk) York, England', who wrote: `In its own way, almost as good as Schindler's List'. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): `Amor e Dor' (`Love and Pain')

Since I live in Israel, I've seen many films about the Hassidic community, but I've never seen a film that combines two of the heaviest subjects in Israeli society. The connection between the two main woman characters (Chaya and Mrs. Kalman), the connection in silence between Chaya and Mr. Kalman, and most important, the connection between Chaya and Simcha, which was nipped in the bud, we're all magnificently described. It also introduces the viewer to the closed worlds of both the Hassidics and the Holocaust Survivors. Excellent, touching and interesting.

¨Left Luggage¨ is an interesting drama about human relationships , humanism but also tragedy . While getting away from Germans during the WWII, a Jewish man named Mr. SilberSchmidt (Maximilian Schell)- married an understanding woman (Mariane Sagebrecht)- dug baggage full of precious objects dear to his heart in the soil. The war deprived him of his parents and brothers, and nowadays , Amberes 1972, he endlessly seeks underground to encounter the luggage. His daughter named Chaya (Laura Frazer) is a likable young girl opposed to the observant Jewish and she is seeking a part-time job. Thanks Yakov (Chaim Topol) she encounters a job as a nanny in the strictly observant Chassidic family formed by a rigid father (Jeroen Krabbe) and a mother (Isabella Rossellini) with five children . One of the reasons Chaya is accepted is that mother of the family is absolutely overburdened by the homework, so she stays in spite of the family head's wrath. She establishes a special relationship to the four-year old Simcha, so far incapable of speaking. Chaya teaches him while walking in the park, and Simcha suddenly imitates the duck's sounds and after he will be able to chant parts of the Haggadah. In the building the Jewish family and Chaya are continuously harassed by the porter (David Bradley).

This thought-provoking film deals with human feelings , love , compassion , sufferings, anti-semitism, familiar environments and many other things . Extraordinary casting who gives very good performances , as Laura Frazer as the young who develops a special bond with the youngest of the boys, Maximilian Schell as obsessed old man who looks for checking old maps and keeps digging, attempting to encounter his ancient suitcases, David Bailey as nasty pathetic anti-Semite caretaker , a repulsive porter who puts constant difficulties to Chassidic family and also for Chaya ; and of course Isabella Rossellini as understanding mother with some secular manners who faces his strict husband . This marvelous and warm film is stunningly directed by Jeroen Krabbe . Jeroen is a prestigious Dutch actor who has only directed two films with quite success and dramatics , this one and ¨The discovery of heaven¨ , both of then he also acted . Rating : Better than average. Worthwhile watching

You have to like this kind of movies to fully appreciate this movie. It's a typical character drama, meaning that there is not really a story, in terms of having a beginning and an end, with in between a story that connects the beginning with the end but it more has a story that slowly and realistically develops, making the events in this movie realistic, documentary like occurrences.

The movie really relies on its characters, with a good result. The actors are all in top form and there are some well known names present in this movie, such as Oscar winner and multiple nominee Maximilian Schell, Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee Isabella Rossellini and also Academy Award nominee Topol, who in this movie is credited with his birth name Chaim Topol, an obvious Jewish name. Topol is perhaps best known to the general public for playing Milos Columbo in the James Bond movie "For Your Eyes Only" or for his role in the cult camp-classic "Flash Gordon". Also director Jeroen Krabbé himself plays a solid part in the movie, as well as the main character, played by the beautiful, talented, young and sadly (still) mostly unknown Laura Fraser.

The way the story is slowly told and developed is done nicely. It gives the movie a true heart and soul and gives the characters and events some real good emotions. The story focuses mainly on the first generation of Jews born after WW II. The emotions by the parents are still present and fresh, while the children just want to move on and don't want to look back at the past. As the story develops the perspective of the youth, through the eyes of the main character Chaya on the past and the Jewish culture changes of course.

The drama is strong and the story is solid. It however is obvious at times that Jeroen Krabbé isn't the most experienced movie director around. There are some minor weaknesses in the directing of some sequences but all in all most certainly not a bad directing debut for Krabbé, who will most likely grow more and more stronger in the near future with his directing skills.

And for the ones who are interested; The Nino this movie is dedicated to, was the nearly 2 year old baby boy of the screenwriter of this movie Edwin de Vries and well known Dutch actress Monique van de Ven, who died of meningitis.

8/10

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