Arno Movies

A hapless amateur rock band thinks they've found the key to success only to find their plan has sunk them even deeper into well-deserved obscurity in this confrontational comedy-drama. The Feminists are a going-nowhere punk rock band living in a small Belgian town. The Feminists' gimmick is that all three members are handicapped in some way -- Ivan (Sam Louwyck) is losing his hearing, Koen (Norman Baert) has a speech impediment, and Jan (Gunter Lamoot) permanently injured his arm in an accident. The Feminists, however, are short a drummer, and are searching for a percussionist so they can enter a regional "Battle of the Bands." They approach Dries (Dries Vanhegen), a well known author, and ask him to join the group; his lack of experience as a drummer would serve as his handicap, and his presence would doubtless attract a few customers. Arrogant Dries takes the Feminists up on their invitation as a way of seeing how the other half lives, but as the band hits the road, they constantly shoot opportunity in the foot with their boorish antics and frequent violent outbursts. Ex-Drummer was the first feature film from director Koen Mortier, who previously established himself as a leading director of television commercials. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A man who has regained his life falls for a woman who has lost her identity in this offbeat comedy/drama from Belgium. Peter de Wit (Arno) suffered a severe heart attack and was declared dead at a hospital in Brussels, but while no one is looking he comes to in the morgue, shaken but little worse for wear. Swiping the clothes and wallet of fellow deceased patient, Peter treats himself to a night on the town, and while dining at a Chinese restaurant, he meets Lucie (Valerie Le Maitre), a performance artist. Lucie was debuting a new piece earlier in the evening, but after paying a visit to her mother she was sexually assaulted by Edouard (Francois Negret), her former boyfriend, and she's had a delayed reaction to the trauma that has left her with temporary amnesia. As Lucie tries to recall who she really is, Peter is having a splendid time being someone else for the evening, but can either put much stock in their mutual attraction given the circumstances? Komma was the first feature film from writer and director Martine Doyen. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A sequel to Belgian cartoonist-turned-director Jan Bucquoy's successful sex comedy The Sexual Life of the Belgians, this erotic romp with elements of political and social satire is set at the title resort, a run-down low-key vacation spot for the working class. Set during the summer of 1986, the tale begins as the Ministry of Culture, anxious to give the campers a healthy dose of culture at the hands of a group of self-importance leftist intellectual artists. The vacationers are less than interested by the pompous productions offered by the cultural experts, finding their own lives, which are shown episodically throughout, more interesting. Some of the characters include the camp manager's overly-uddered wife, a hooker, an a would-be pedophile with a thing for a blow-up rubber woman. Bucquoy is also at the camp with his 13-year-old daughter. In a sentimental turn, he attempts to help her come to grips with a traumatic event from her past. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this frequently surrealistic romp, a satire on sex, politics, and the business of filmmaking, two young women get together after discovering sufficient provocations in their lives to deliberately set out to wreak havoc in the world around them. Joelle (Anouk Grinberg) has just been thrown out of a moving car by her abusive man-friend, when Camille (Charlotte Gainsbourg) encounters her. Joelle's bitter exclamation Merci la Vie, or "thank you, life" echoes something of Camille's feelings, and the two decide to go on a rampage, picking up and seducing numerous men and then doing things like destroying their cars. Eventually, they set their sights on a "higher" goal and decide to do in an entire town. Meanwhile, it becomes evident that a sinister medical researcher, Dr. Worms (Gérard Depardieu), has infected promiscuous Joelle with a sexually transmitted disease he invented for the sole purpose of becoming the man who finds its cure, which he hopes will make him beloved, famous and rich. At some point, an elaborate series of flashbacks enter the story, and in one sequence, Camille attempts to persuade her feuding parents to get back together long enough to conceive her. Reviewers noted that logic is not a strong point in this film, but they found its fast pace and bright performances vastly entertaining. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi