Verhoeven's "Black Book"

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"If you haven't seen Paul Verhoeven's Black Book (Sony Classics, 3.9.07), get your butt into a screening. If you can imagine Verhoeven's over-the-top style and his obsession with female nudity, blood and other bodily fluids grafted onto a somewhat traditional World War II film about the Dutch underground fighting the Nazis....well, you may not believe what you're seeing.

"It is both utterly ridiculous and fabulously entertaining, but at 145 minutes it moves like lightning, It looks in some ways like a 1940s MGM flick (think The Cross of Lorraine) but with a 2006 sensibility. I was chuckling all the way through at how florid it was, but have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed it." -- Manhattan-based hit-shot journalist Lewis Beale in an e-mail sent this morning.

http://www.blackbook-lefilm.com/home.htm

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on December 19, 2006 at 9:11 AM

comment #1

VedaPierce says ...

Excellent!

Give me a Paul Verhoeven WW2 movie anyday over a Clint Eastwood one.

Posted by VedaPierce at December 19, 2006 10:52 AM

comment #2

Alan Cerny says ...

It's quite good, with a healthy lack of cliche and characters that definitely aren't cookie cutter. You'll believe a Nazi can be sympathetic.

Posted by Alan Cerny at December 19, 2006 11:13 AM

comment #3

jeffmcm says ...

Great!
It's not playing until March though, and 99.99% of us can't just walk into a screening until then.

Posted by jeffmcm at December 19, 2006 11:53 AM

comment #4

Rich S. says ...

Don't worry, jeffmcm, Jeffrey will do his damnedest to spoil it seven ways to Sunday by then....

Posted by Rich S. at December 19, 2006 1:40 PM

comment #5

Walter Sobchak says ...

Give me a Paul Verhoeven WW2 movie anyday over a Paul Verhoeven any-other-time-period one.

Posted by Walter Sobchak at December 19, 2006 5:07 PM

comment #6

NYCritic says ...

So then does this become the de facto favorite to win the Best Foreign Language Oscar since it's the entry from The Netherlands? Or will it be left off the final five?

There are so many really good foreign movies competing for the slots this year: Pan's Labyrinth, Water, Curse of the Golden Flower, Family Law, Days of Glory, Ten Canoes, The Lives of Others, The Yacoubian Building, Volver, Retrieval. I would hate to be on the committe selecting the final nominees.

Posted by NYCritic at December 19, 2006 5:37 PM

comment #7

Jeremy Smith says ...

BLACK BOOK probably won't get nominated, and it certainly won't win. Sony Classics is all about VOLVER and THE LIVES OF OTHERS. Besides, the perverse content of BLACK BOOK has got to be a turnoff for the older voters. I'd love to see it get a Picture push next year, but that never happens.

Posted by Jeremy Smith at December 19, 2006 6:06 PM

comment #8

renorambler says ...

As an interesting counterpoint, view The Assault, based on Harry Mulisch's novel of the same name (and winner of the Foreign Language Oscar) about the ambiguity of living in Nazi occupied Holland, the resistance, and its effects on one family. A good film, but a great book.

Posted by renorambler at December 19, 2006 8:13 PM

comment #9

George Prager says ...

I always thought Showgirls would've worked it it was set on another planet or a space station.

Posted by George Prager at December 20, 2006 8:39 AM

comment #10

christian says ...

or if it had alien bugs eating the showgirls.

Posted by christian at December 20, 2006 10:29 AM

comment #11

Edward says ...

Verhoeven's Danish oeuvre is far superior to his US work. That being said, "Robocop," is outstanding; while "Basic Instinct" and Starship Troopers" are fun.

Posted by Edward at December 20, 2006 11:17 AM

comment #12