Alleen maar nette mensen

The social struggle that people go through when living in a different country is never-ending. We can never please everyone and finding our place among a different culture is a continuous and sometime strenuous fight.

"Alleen Maar Nette Mensen: Only Decent People" is a very interesting Dutch movie about the differences in culture and acceptance of one's individual background. However, we as humans tend to have needs that, sometimes, do not comply with the environment where we live. And making the right choice in order to not be excluded completely is a very difficult task. Smartly critical and very actual.

From the beginning to the end of the film, you are watching Dutch racism against the black people that are living in Netherlands. Aim of the film is humiliating black society. During the film, all negative images (like illegality, barbarity, nonhuman things) are attributed to the black people and all positive images are attributed to Dutch people. According to this film black people are illegal, barbaric people. Fathers of a lot of black children can' t be known, because black girls (including married ones) are doing sex with every man. They are from a lower culture and they are dangerous people. This film is a shame. I am not from black society, but i am so sad an ashamed from this film and Ducth racism against black people. If you want to see how black people are nonhuman beings in the eyes of Dutch people, you should see this film.

This movie caused quite some dispute in The Netherlands, it was accused of being racist and bigoted. Especially the way the Dutch black subcultures are portrayed is supposedly wrong. I didn't see it, to me this movie is as relentless towards the white (jewish) intellectual elite as it is towards the black lower class. But it seems to want to open the eyes of all people for their limited views and narrow-mindedness. And it points out how even within groups that seem homogeneous to outsiders, people have their petty little disdains for 'the others'. The intellectual Jewish look down on the 'textile Jews', the dark people from the Antilles look down on the Surinam people. And of course vice versa.

And all this in a juicy and very entertaining comedy, with a very nice cast and some splendid acting!

Refreshing look at how black and white people live together in the Netherlands. It's a comedy, so exaggerated, but very recognizable.

To me, the movie was just 86 minutes of flat stereotypes towards both black, and white people (primarely Jews). Let's be honest, the portrayal of stereotypes can be funny as long as it's done in the right way. Which sadly, in this movie is not. The Netherlands has a fairly high tolerance level when it comes to different cultures, religions, sexual preferences etc. which in my eyes, is a good thing. But I must say I was a little surprised this movie got made and it was this "well" received. Even though the idea of an affluent Jewish kid falling for a girl who is quite the contrary isn't even that bad.

I personally felt like I was watching the same jokes over and over again: black people are poor, rude and poorly educated. Jews/white people are ignorant, but well behaved, and only care about money. Yes I get it now, but can we at least see some character development then? I guess not..

Anyway, nice try. But to me it was yet another title to add to the long list of failed Dutch movies.