Zusje, or Little Sister, is an art film from the Netherlands, and a
first effort from Director/Writer/Producer Robert Jan Westdijk.
Little sister's older brother arrives with a video camera in hand, after
a long absence from his sister. We eventually learn that the two were caught
naked in bed together as adolescents, and he was shipped off to boarding schools
and ostracized by the family. He has shown up with the stated purpose of making
a movie about his sister, but actually to relive and force her to remember
exactly what had happened many years ago between them, so they can both get
closure. Her current boyfriend is in the way, as is one of her girlfriends who desires
big brother.
The is not the same old formula film, but a quirky, personal sort of story, which is a very good thing in my
estimation, and the sort of thing that is being done very well in Europe at the
moment. The entire film was shot hand-held (shaky cam), is rather grainy, and I
did find it slow to develop, but the payoff made it all worthwhile, and the
ending managed to surprise me completely. It stars Kim van Kooten in the title role. This was her first film, and
she was wonderful in the role,
dominating the screen. The performance made her a star.
If you are not familiar with our grading system, you need to
read the
explanation, because the grading is not linear. For example, by
our definition, a
C is solid and a C+ is a VERY good movie. There are very few Bs
and As. Based on our descriptive system, this film is a:
C+
Genre: European art film. If you like those, this one is a
must-see.
