Bluebird

A few minutes into this delightful film, my partner whispered, "Merel doesn't waste a second." That's right, she doesn't, and neither does this outstandingly well crafted coming-of-age film about a precocious and ambitious 12 year old girl living in Rotterdam. Merel (young Elske Rotteveel) would be quick to correct my last statement, pointing out that she is in fact 12 ½ years old, not 12.

Merel zooms on her skateboard to barely catch the morning train, reads Roald Dahl on the trip to school, aces the oral discussions in her classes, dashes off after school to fetch her kid brother Kasper and wheel him home (he's a Thalidomide child without hands or forearms, unable to walk), then on to her high diving lesson at the swim club, or to the next rehearsal for the musical "Turandot" that she's in, then homework and snuggling up with Dad to watch TV for a minute, but only after she has bathed Kasper and lovingly acted out a story using little figurines to entertain him.

What's wrong with this picture? Well, for one thing, Merel doesn't appear to have a single peer friend. For another, she seems more than a little pushy in asserting her mastery of everything she attempts. When the lead singer in "Turandot" rehearses a solo, Merel - who naturally has memorized the lead part in addition to her own choruses - sings along and must be shushed by the drama coach. In class she's quick to signal that she knows the answers and she's always right, always.

She doesn't act the snob or smarty pants: far from it. Her manner is entirely natural and unassuming. In fact she exudes a wondrous confidence and charm; she's tender and loving toward her family. She is just so damnably competent that she's irrepressible. And she's so busy, her life is so full, that she hasn't yet felt lonely, felt the need for friends. Her mindless diffidence and superior achievements begin to cost her big time with the other kids at school, as she becomes the target of escalating teases and worse.

The story hurtles along toward the climax and resolution of her social dilemma, reaching a conclusion that is fitting and believable. Splendid supporting turns are contributed by Kees Scholten as Kasper, and by a male actor named Anne Buurma, who befriends Merel on the train and nicknames her "Bluebird." Don't for a second be put off by the fact that this little gem was made for TV. You won't see a better C-o-A story for some time to come. This movie should be required viewing in every middle school in America. My grade: A- 9/10

I really love these docu-style films. Having missed the opening credits (I found it while zapping), I thought for the first 5 minutes it was a documentary. So cool. Also, with the very skillful and appropriate underacting, it was hard to tell what this was at first. A German children's series? A docu on living with disability in the family? Ah, Dutch drama! Rotteveel is an outstanding actress, with the typical looks of the runway model: Looks ordinary, almost plain at first glance, but is stunning upon closer examination. Her acting is of the deceptive natural kind and it fitted in well with the direction and camera work, beautiful, those wide shots.

I didn't get the choice of music, though. Choosing the Red Hot Chili Peppers' song 'Otherside' during a sad moment is understandable, ("A candidate for my soul mate bled" "Slit my throat, it's all I ever" ), but R.E.M.s 'Losing my religion' during the end? And what about Michel Fugains 'Un beau roman' when her stepbrother is going to school? What is the connection between that and a nostalgic summer romance song? Unfathomable.

The last two Dutch films I saw had lead characters that did not make you root for them ('Drijfzand' and 'De Ordening'). That is OK if the movie has other things going for it; sometimes a hero would just be in the way. Unfortunately, those two Dutch flicks had no such other things going for them either.

Blue Bird is different, partly because its makers cheated.

The lead character is Merel, a girl of 12 who has started attending secondary school. For some reason or another (who knows why these things really start?) she gets off on the wrong foot with the rowdy crowd of her class, and from then on she is being bullied and beaten up by that group.

Merel has some average qualities, for example in that the she is slightly nerdy. But most of the time she is being the ideal person: she can sing, she is a swimming champ, she is a very caring and devoted sister to her charming and handicapped little brother and she is one of the best students in her class. This makes it very easy to care for her: you want her to overcome the bullies, and grow in the process.

And this is where the makers cheated: her being so perfect also makes it difficult to imagine her the target of bullies. Bullies usually pick on the weaker kids. Although Merel does defend herself, she seems to have no friends for most of the movie, except in people that are not in her school.

Director Mijke de Jong uses another trick to make us feel for Merel. The camera is often distant, hidden behind backs or staying away from the action, so that it feels that not even the registering eye will step in to help this poor girl.

Elske Rotteveel as Merel believably portrays the lead character in both sad and happy times, and holds her own in both speaking and silent moments. She outperforms her grown-up colleagues in many scenes, making her Merel stand out even more.

All in all this is an engaging TV film.

Since my English isn't very good I will try not to repeat what other have already said. Sure, this movie is excellent, but what was a bit annoying for me is the lack of anger. The girl is just too good to be true. I expected a reaction from her and not just some stifled emotions. At the end you can feel that she's on the edge but she doesn't cross it. Or maybe she does? In one scene she stands at the hill with her brother. Her face changes as if something sinister happens in her head. I really thought she will push him down. In many cases victims become like their bullies. Maybe she really did push her brother down but the scene was cut out? That would explain why her brother was angry (at her) later and why she felt so guilty. I need to watch the movie again to be sure. Also, what's up with that black guy? I just don't like when strangers talk to children no matter how innocent their intentions are. It's not proper.

I liked this movie and gave it a 9 rating. Unlike many other Dutch movies the characters were real and the acting was very good. The movie very realistically shows what goes on schools and how young children cope with this. And also very important: How parents are often unaware of what's really going on. The 12.5 years old girl did some really good and natural acting. This also applies to the rest of the cast. The movie does a really nice job at playing on your emotions and it makes you realize that this movie could have ended in a very different way. The way they subtly integrated this in the script is great.

This is a movie which should be shown on each school to make children aware of what teasing can result in and how it can destroy a human life (and potentially even more). And perhaps even more important: That it's possible for one single boy/girl in a class to make a big difference by refusing to be an "innocent" bystander.

Thumbs up for this Dutch production. I'd like to see more movies of this quality.