rating:
(out of
4 stars)The Netherlands; 2001
Directed by Paula van der Oest; produced by Jacqueline de Goeij; written by Paula van der Oest
Starring Halina Reijn, Monic Hendrickx, Anneke Blok, Sylvia Porta, Jacob Derwig
Below you will find a temporary review for this film. The real (better, more complete) review will be online very soon.
Three sisters, not very fond of each other, must work together to stop the
wedding of their younger brother Nino. If he gets married he will get the
hotel that once belonged to their father. The father has put that in his
will the way he did because Nino is gay. Nino makes an arrangement with Bo:
they get married but only be friends so they get the hotel and they can sell
it.
The story goes a little too far sometimes. Everybody's cheating on their
partners, it is about all kinds of sexuality and about family. It wants to
be hilarious and in some points very serious at the same time. The
characters are very over-done, but that is a good thing. They are funnier
this way and especially Bo and the husbands of the three sisters are great
in their roles.
I can see why this film is nominated for an Academy Award although it would
not have been my choice (Cidade de Deus instead). Most of the time it is
hilarious, I must admit. Somebody said it is more like a play than a movie
and I think I can agree with that very much. It handles a lot of taboos but
in my opinion not always in a good way. Despite that it is definitely worth
a watch.