Black Book

Great movie, one of the best to come out of the Netherlands. Also the movie that launched the career of the Dutch actress Carice van Houten. I sure hope she becomes a big star in Hollywood.

Starts like a generic WWII film, then after the first act you start to notice more of Verhoeven’s stamp. It’s got entertaining bits, even if the lot of the writing is ridiculous and cheesy. It’s kind of a B-movie, and unlike _Inglorious Bastards_, this movie doesn’t really embrace that. As per usual with Verhoeven’s films, there are cringy moments and a lot of bad dialogue. Some of the acting is pretty good (Carice van Houten, Derek de Lint), but a lot of the actors are hampered by the writing, direction or their own lack of skill (cough, Johnny de Mol). Also, due to being a Dutch production, the technical aspects leave a lot to be desired. I was quite impressed by the high production value, but the cinematography doesn’t have as much personality as some of Verhoeven’s other work. The sound mixing isn’t great and the overbearing score sounds like it’s ripped from an _Indiana Jones_ film. 4/10