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.

A Jewish girl tries to survive by making the best use of her bajingo during the German occupation in the Netherlands, even going undercover within the Nazi ranks. The premise of another WWII semi-biopic didn’t feel very appealing, but Verhoeven managed to keep the audience engaged not just by flashing boobs and plot twists every now and then, but also with his signature touch of campy. The film is all but subtle and feels 20 years older than its actual age, with the kitschy soundtrack putting the last nail in the coffin of good taste. Yet it works, turning an otherwise forgettable film into a fairly enjoyable experience. It could have been way shorter, though.

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

A good old fashioned espionage movie with less Verhoeven cringe to avoid than usual.

Amazing movie! The story is beautiful and surprising, the acting is really good and the atmosphere is intriguing.
As a Dutchman, I'm really proud of this movie!

I gave this film a slightly higher rating than it may have deserved because it felt like an epic. It seems that those kind of films are rare these days Cold War - and Django Unchained come to mind. The film had a nice pace to it and the acting was excellent. Some of the twists toward the end were really clever (especially the one at the end of the war) and the ending was expecially well done.

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Only Paul Verhoeven can make a devastating World War 2 movie erotic.

The original title of the film is Zwartboek.