Borgman

Borgman is a prime example of the difference between Mainstream Hollywood and European Cinema. Movies that don't tie up loose ends and force feed the audience. Movies that pay respect to the intelligence of the viewer. Borgman never really explains anything during the movie which will put a lot of people off, but if you are prepared to look at the minor details, you will appreciate the film for what it is, a deeply psychological look at social classes and many other elements that will get the audience thinking and ultimately form a discussion. With some truly unsettling scenes being complimented by dry humour, Borgman gives off a certain charm that will captivate the viewer right through the two hour running time! Great acting performances along with some surreal images gives Borgman that unique and creative edge, within a world of movies that lack anything new!

Borgman is queer piece of cinema, challenging right form the off with the opening scenes of pursuit which point in a certain direction, but be prepared for your feelings to change as the story progresses. Writer / director Alex van Warmerdam's film bars very few holds, and yet it does not sensationalise increasingly troubling and occasionally brutal events, presenting them in a frank and open way, inviting the viewer to judge the participants and their respective fates. You would do well to prepare yourself to feel little sympathy for any of the characters, and yet there is something compelling about the spartan direction and the economy of the performances that will hold your attention to the end. Jan Bijvoet as the titular Camiel Borgman and Hadewych Minis as Marina are stand-outs, and deserve to be seen by a wider audience. One possible conclusion is that Warmerdam's script presents a black-and-white position in reaching a verdict, but in reality there are Lynchian levels of grey and plenty of scope for interpretation over a glass of wine (or two) afterwards. Well worth seeking out for those of a less delicate sensibility.

One of the best films of the Philadelphia Film Festival, Borgman is a hilarious, darkly satirical, mysterious, sexy, fascinating, and surreal allegory for social upheaval.

In the beginning, there was armed men looking to kill underground hobos. We will never find out why they want to kill them or why the hobos are underground (or why the hobos have nice cellphones). One of them, Camiel Borgman, escapes and warns his friends. He washes himself at a gas station and begins wandering down an extremely affluent street with the intention of getting a proper bath in one of them, simply by asking at the front door. One house in particular strikes his fancy, and he begins a slow process of worming his way into the household and the lives of everyone who lives there.

But that's when things get REALLY strange.

This film is destined for hopefully a good deal of international attention in the art-house circuit due to its exceptional storytelling, unpredictability and very weird plot.

With the matter-of-fact way it presents absurd goings-on, it reminded me of Dogtooth a little.

This is a dark and at the same time irresistible funny movie about them and us, inside and outside, reality versus imagination. It's about somewhat strangely organized hobo's who are invading a posh house and taking over a family. It's a great, great movie, with a pitch perfect production and a deeply disturbing - and therefore significant and meaningful - message. Every viewer will make up his own story about what takes place in the house that is at the central stage, and in the dark woods that surround it, but in the end it's like a Rembrandt: deep and dark with some light touches that make you laugh and remember what art and humanity are all about: to overcome fear.What's extremely good about this movie is that it will make your film brain spin: what's going to happen next?

Don't expect the movie to answer many (or any?) of your questions. There is a beginning that is not explained at all, which introduces us to our lead. We don't know him yet, so we have no idea what he's up to, why those people were "looking" for him. We might get it during the course of the movie, though still not entirely.

The acting is superb, even when you shake you head not getting why people would behave like that (there are a couple of deleted scenes, one that "explains" why the Nanny did something or reacted in a strange way after an encounter). It's strange to say the least, but that's intended. The world we dive into looks like the one we live in, but it isn't really. Still the horror feels real. Even if you don't see many things happening (explicitely), you will be confused by a lot of things. You'll either like that or loathe it. Which was exactly what the movie (maker) was aiming for ... Job well done then