THE PREACHER (Gerrard Verhage - Netherlands 2004).
Well crafted film about the rise and fall of Dutch drug-lord Klaas Bruinsma, based on the book by Bart Middelburg published in 1991, the year Bruinsma was assassinated before the Hilton in Amsterdam. In the '70s and '80s he was the key marijuana importer in Western Europe, and built a huge empire based on drug trafficking ("only soft drugs", he claims repeatedly), gambling and prostitution. At first he wants to stay clear from violence, but these attitudes don't last very long in the business like this, and soon he descends into an ever more violent downward spiral, until his own violent death.
For unknown legal reasons the name of the main character in the film was changed to Klaas Donkers, but it's common knowledge the filmmakers were urged by Amsterdam crime figures to change a couple of names, mainly because of still ongoing violent disputes in the aftermath of his death (which - believe it or not - are still going on to this very day). So for the film they altered the name of the main character, but it's obvious the film deals, or at least is based, on the life of Klaas Bruinsma.
And therein lies one of the weak points of this film. It doesn't seem to know whether it wants to be a screen biography or a more traditional crime saga, with the traditional blueprint of the genre. The rise of Klaas Donkers (Peter Paul Muller) into the big league happens so fast, he's in with the big boys in no time. Before you know what happened, he is negotiating with the very top bosses. Perhaps this was how it all went down, but it seemed a bit sudden to me.
Peter Paul Muller as Klaas Donkers does OK and Frank Lammers as his right hand and bodyguard shows he is one of the top actors of his generation. A very intense performance. Chantal Janzen as Annet, his girlfriend, is less convincing. She seems to have decided she is gonna be tough throughout the whole film and delivers her lines with a wooden, albeit, pretty face. And why does she work at a market stand selling second hand clothes, even when she was already involved in a multi-million guilder business as Klaas Donkers accomplice and lover? A hobby of hers, selling second-hand clothes?
Many remarks have been made about the set design. I must admit, it is a bit awkward. The film plays roughly from 1973 till 1991. With the exception of the last scene, which looks very much like 1991, the chronology is soon lost on the set designers and we see very strange mixtures of 1973 cars with late eighties clothes. In general, they could have eased up a little on the over-the-top '70s look. Throughout the entire film, they drive around in huge American cars from the early seventies and Amsterdam sometimes looks more like a Middle Eastern bazaar than a European city.
Not a very strong film by any standard with an OK but somewhat confusing script, poor dialog and some sub-par performances, but when drugs, murder and beautiful women are involved, you're easily entertained. But be patient with the first twenty minutes.
Camera Obscura --- 7/10
Well crafted film about the rise and fall of Dutch drug-lord Klaas Bruinsma, based on the book by Bart Middelburg published in 1991, the year Bruinsma was assassinated before the Hilton in Amsterdam. In the '70s and '80s he was the key marijuana importer in Western Europe, and built a huge empire based on drug trafficking ("only soft drugs", he claims repeatedly), gambling and prostitution. At first he wants to stay clear from violence, but these attitudes don't last very long in the business like this, and soon he descends into an ever more violent downward spiral, until his own violent death.
For unknown legal reasons the name of the main character in the film was changed to Klaas Donkers, but it's common knowledge the filmmakers were urged by Amsterdam crime figures to change a couple of names, mainly because of still ongoing violent disputes in the aftermath of his death (which - believe it or not - are still going on to this very day). So for the film they altered the name of the main character, but it's obvious the film deals, or at least is based, on the life of Klaas Bruinsma.
And therein lies one of the weak points of this film. It doesn't seem to know whether it wants to be a screen biography or a more traditional crime saga, with the traditional blueprint of the genre. The rise of Klaas Donkers (Peter Paul Muller) into the big league happens so fast, he's in with the big boys in no time. Before you know what happened, he is negotiating with the very top bosses. Perhaps this was how it all went down, but it seemed a bit sudden to me.
Peter Paul Muller as Klaas Donkers does OK and Frank Lammers as his right hand and bodyguard shows he is one of the top actors of his generation. A very intense performance. Chantal Janzen as Annet, his girlfriend, is less convincing. She seems to have decided she is gonna be tough throughout the whole film and delivers her lines with a wooden, albeit, pretty face. And why does she work at a market stand selling second hand clothes, even when she was already involved in a multi-million guilder business as Klaas Donkers accomplice and lover? A hobby of hers, selling second-hand clothes?
Many remarks have been made about the set design. I must admit, it is a bit awkward. The film plays roughly from 1973 till 1991. With the exception of the last scene, which looks very much like 1991, the chronology is soon lost on the set designers and we see very strange mixtures of 1973 cars with late eighties clothes. In general, they could have eased up a little on the over-the-top '70s look. Throughout the entire film, they drive around in huge American cars from the early seventies and Amsterdam sometimes looks more like a Middle Eastern bazaar than a European city.
Not a very strong film by any standard with an OK but somewhat confusing script, poor dialog and some sub-par performances, but when drugs, murder and beautiful women are involved, you're easily entertained. But be patient with the first twenty minutes.
Camera Obscura --- 7/10