Rudy Verzyck Movies
Frank Van Passel's adaptation of William Elsschot's novella Villa des Roses stars Julie Delpy. Delpy is a French maid who works at a home for the poor and unfortunate. She becomes pregnant, and is forced to risk a dangerous abortion. The director employed digital effects to help create the elaborate visual design of the film. Villa des Roses was screened at the Hollywood Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Delpy, Shaun Dingwall, (more)
- 1999
Writer-director Vincent Bal debuts with this understated coming-of-age story. Thirteen-year-old Victor (Ides Meire) is sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Ostend after the death of his father. When he and his Uncle go to the taxidermist to have a stuffed dog fix, Victor meets Fania (Charlotte de Ruyter), a pretty girl about his age. Soon teenage hormones are raging, and little seems to stand between Victor and his first kiss except his own elaborate fantasy world. He images himself as the Man of Steel, a comic-book superhero with the strength and emotions of iron. Man Van Staal was screened at the 1999 Flanders Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ides Meire, Charlotte de Ruyter, (more)
Actor Jeroen Krabbe made his directorial debut with this Dutch-Belgian-U.S. drama examining anti-Semitic attitudes in 1972 Antwerp. Free-spirited 20-year-old student Chaja (Laura Fraser) has a long-haired revolutionary lover and sometimes visits her parents (Maximilian Schell, Marianne Sagebrecht), both concentration camp survivors. Evading eviction from her apartment, Chaja finds work as a nanny with the Kalmans, an Orthodox Hassidic family. Initially rebelling against the rigid traditions, she eventually comes to terms with their way of life as she teaches their four-year-old to follow his father's doctrines. Adapted from Carl Friedman's novel The Shovel and the Loom, this film was shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Fraser, Isabella Rossellini, (more)
- 1997
- NR
A mismatched couple find themselves trying to work out their many differences with a four-month winter blackout looming before them in the romantic comedy-drama When the Light Comes. Ellen (Francesca Vanthielen) is a college student looking for an unusual summer job and seems to have found one when she gets work on a ship sailing into the Arctic Circle, where she starts to get friendly with a handsome sailor named Robbert (Rick Engelkes). However, during a quick stop to pick up supplies, Ellen impulsively jumps ship to find out what the life of an arctic trapper is like, and soon finds herself hooked up with Lars (Joachim Krol). Lars doesn't really know what to say to Ellen, and, even if he did, they wouldn't understand each other anyway -- she speaks English and he Norwegian. He also has a hard time keeping his hands to himself -- no great surprise, since for the last several months his only companions have been a pack of sled dogs. In time, Lars learns enough English to be able to communicate with Ellen, and her youthful spunk starts to mesh with his man-of-the-land personality. But will Ellen give Lars what he's so obviously interested in, or does she still have Robbert on the brain? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joachim Krol, Francesca Vanthielen, (more)
- 1997
In this black comedy, a pair of young losers face-up to the futility of fighting conservative Belgian Establishment. The story is based on a best-selling Belgian novel by Tom Lanoye. Twenty-four-year-old Tony comes from an upper middle class family. Both of his parents are prominent lawyers. Soon after flunking his legal exams, the aimless Tony steals some of his parents cash and takes off for a cross-country drive in his van. Along the way, he encounters the ex-con Andreeke, a man who loves wandering about and steals for the joy of it. Wanting some kicks, the new buddies rob Tony's house. Afterward, Andreeke departs and returns to the tiny bistro he owns. Tony is still yearning for more trouble though and so tries to con a cagey, dying old woman. Unfortunately for him, she proves to be the better con artist. Later, Andreeke, who has lost his restaurant, and Tony reteam to try and rob a bank. Only one of them survives the heist. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1996
- R
Brylcream Boulevard is the second in Belgian filmmaker Robbe De Hert's uncompleted "Belgian Graffiti" trilogy. The first installment, Blueberry Hill was set in the mid '50s and chronicled the lives and adventures of a group of high school students. This episode begins five years later in the early '60s and looks at how adulthood has changed them. Robin De Hert, the former rebel returns home after a stint in the Navy and discovers his old nemesis Mr. Verbiest, the crooked teacher he oust, has become a corrupt politician. This particularly galls Robin, who still blames Verbiest for the death of his best friend in high school. Enlisting the aid of his ex-girl friend and high school buddies, Robin devises an ingenious scheme for revenge. Unfortunately, his elaborate sexual entrapment plan (the results of which he will broadcast on television) seems dicey to the others, so he prepares a plan B. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
This almost mystical Belgian romance centers upon a young man who is unable to utter the three little words his girl friend most wants to hear. Harry is the emotionally damaged young man who boards a streetcar driven by pretty Jeanne. They briefly flirt before he disembarks and heads for an apartment building. There he sees the body of a tenant who has just committed suicide being carted off. Harry immediately talks the aged housekeeper, Denise, into letting him the room. Denise is haunted by the death of her lover who was killed by a bomb at the end of WW II; a chunk of the fatal bomb is enshrined in her living room. Harry gets a job as a dishwasher in a run-down restaurant. Later he learns that Jeanne lives on the same city block. She instigates a romance between them, but finds him emotionally distanced and unable to commit to her. Still, she loves him and patiently draws the terrible story from Harry. When he was quite young, he and his happy family were on vacation. At his insistence, the family stopped at a railroad crossing so he could urinate. Just as he left the car, he told his mother, "I love you." As he emptied his little bladder, a train hit the car and killed his family. Harry blames those three words and hasn't spoken them since the tragedy. To force him to say "I love you" again, Jeanne enlists the aide of Denise. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
