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Reviews
The Discovery of Heaven (2001)
Quite good adaption of a great novel
First of all, I am obliged to say my view on this movie was somewhat coloured, because the novel this movie is based on is one of my favourites and I know it by heart.
If you have read the novel, you should watch this movie really open-minded. The novel is a 900+-pages book with a lot of details and symbolism which you cannot completely explain in a 2-hour movie. However, the main story line and the highlights have been pretty well preserved, although the plot has been simplified and explained a bit.
On the other hand, if you haven't read the novel, I'm not too sure whether or not this is such a great movie. Of course, at no point the picture gets boring or inexplicable, but because so much details of the novel have been left away, the true meaning of the book and the real mission of the main character get drowned in the special effects and the smooth directing.
In the end, I'd have to give this movie a 9 out of 10, with one of the main drawbacks being the length: if this picture has lasted for another hour or two, the power of the novel would have remained so much more intact.
Baby Blue (2001)
Surprisingly interesting thriller
I had never seen a movie by Theo van Gogh before, and didn't care much for the person, but I must say he has made a great movie.
Although this picture runs for about 2 hours, it never gets dull because of the ingenious plot. On several occasions, Theo makes you re-organize your assumptions about who-did-what. The interesting camera work makes this movie a pleasure to watch.
The tempo in this movie is not too high, yet smooth and never boring. Not until after the credits, I really understood the complete movie and it stayed in my mind for days after.
I'd give it an 8 out of 10.
Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Absolutely amazing
I am usually very critical towards this kind of movies, especially when my friends told me they were planning to cry watching this movie... but I actually had to hold my own tears back towards the end. The only two other pictures which had managed to achieve that were Voyager (Julie Delpy) and Romeo + Juliet.
This movie is of such an honest nature, that everyone who has at least some emotion within his heart must feel the pain Selma must feel towards the end of the movie.
I was surprised this could move me that much!