Cornelis

Being a Dutchman with a great interest in Sweden, plus a fan of Cornelis Vreeswijk, I was really looking forward to this motion picture. Many of Cornelis' songs helped me to gradually learn the Swedish language. First off, I have to compliment the casting bureau that managed to find Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby. A Norwegian singer from a genre rather remote from the one Cornelis sang in. Yet he puts on a magnificent performance.

The film follows the career steps of Vreeswijk in Sweden, from his breakthrough in 1964 alongside Fred Åkerström until his death in 1987. During the course of it, many of Cornelis' great songs can be heard. A sing-along for any fan. It also shows the two sides that Cornelis had in him. A great performer, fun guy to hang around with, a ladies man. But also a heavy drinker, an overly jealous husband and not the best of fathers to his son Jack. It presents you with a very honest picture of this troubadour that lived like a rock star. This pleads for the director and the script-writer.

The only weakness of this film is that it focuses solely on Sweden. Vreeswijks Dutch heritage is almost completely neglected. The only way any viewer unfamiliar with him would guess he's Dutch is from his last name and the first 5 minutes of the film. The director does ironically point out the fact that the Swedish state never officially recognized Vreeswijk as a Swedish citizen, and therefore never even became a Swede. In fact Cornelis had a decent career here in The Netherlands as well, where quite a few people still know his Dutch repertoire. He also regularly traveled abroad to perform in The Netherlands. Obviously this part of his life poses a practical issue, with a Norwegian actor portraying him. Yet Amir Chamdin could have made at least a couple of references to the Netherlands. He chooses not to; perhaps for financial or practical reasons. Sadly it's this loose end that makes this an incomplete, yet nice film about the life of Cornelis Vreeswijk.

He was only 50 when he died after living a true rock star life. Maybe not being aware of it. Cornelis Vreeswijk has now reached a legend status, which he had from time to time already during his career. But it surely was a career with downs.

Hank von Helvete is a surprise in the title part, not overacting it a bit, which of course would have been tempting. We follow Cornelis through a passed-away Stockholm from the 60s, with buses and cars driving to the left. We follow his early success, his more or less disastrous marriages, his insecurity, his periods in jail and his tax problems. All things which made headlines.

Sounds like another boring hard-life story, but this is so Swedish, that you can't help taking it a little to your heart. Like Cornelis, the man and legend.

As a huge fan of Cornelis Vreeswijk I had great expectations for this movie. I have to say that I was really happy to see that my expectation were met. The music was brilliant (of course), the actors did a great job (more about this later) and the story was really good.

The music were partly by his (CS) own voice and partly other musicians who payed their homage to Cornelis. Of course a fan like me loves his own songs, but as a fan It is really easy to hate when other tries to cover the music. This wasn't the case, I think that all the covers was really good. The director of the movie payed his homage to Vreeswijk songs too, not with music but with scenery (the song "Don Quixote").

The former vocalist in the rock band Turbonegro, Hans Erik Dyvik Husby made a really great interpretation of Vreeswijk's life. Husby's portrait of Vreeswij's addiction to alcohol and drugs and his problems trying to manage it did'not give the viewer the feeling that this was an interpretation of the dark sides of fame, but rather something that Husby himself personally was aware of.

I give this one a 10/10 Although I personally would prefer the movie to be at least one hour longer...

Actor Hans-Erik isn't even close to Cornelis.

His acting is lazy and boyish, immature.

Boring directing. Pale movie.

Great Story about a legend.

4/10.

For many years this movie has bin planed, but not until now has anyone dared to make it. Mainly because Cornelis was in life, and still is in death a very loved musician, and in his own way character. I have grown up with his music, and has always loved it. Both my sisters are named after characters in his songs.

Yesterday the movie had its Gala premiere in Trollhättan, with both the director Amir Chamdin, and the main star in the movie, Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby, present. Me and my girlfriend had both received invitations to attend, and it gave us chance to take one persons each with us, so we took my parents.

Now to the movie... I was actually a bit scared at first, maybe they would destroy it, and Cornelis at the same time. but I must say... they didn't. The movie turned out fantastic. Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby made a fantastic part, specially when you think about that his from Norway, and had to learn Swedish first. In this movie you gets to follow Cornelis Vreeswijk from just before his brake in to the music business, to his tragic death almost 30 years later.

Not much else to say about this without telling to much, just Go and see it if you can! Its a fantastic movie...