Film Fetish Friday: Barbara, Ted, Deal

Film Fetish Friday: Barbara, Ted, Deal

Sep 14, 2012 |  by  |  Art, Event
About the author
As a freelance journalist, Anouk (26) usually writes about what other people do or like. In her precious spare time she watches arthouse films. Not a few. A lot, thanks to her trusted Cineville pass. Here she can finally share her film-fetish with the world.

To watch or not to watch? I will tour around Amsterdam’s cinemas and answer this crucial question every Friday. Without mercy, of course. Sucky films will be slaughtered, cinematographic pearls will be appreciated as such. Or the other way around. After all, good taste is in the eye of the beholder.

Barbara

I’m fascinated by the GDR – in Dutch known as the DDR. This communistic totalitarian regime kept its eye on every citizen. People had to choose their friends very carefully, because even a kind neighbour could work for the Stasi. In the film Barbara these kind of things are not said out loud. The grip of the GDR is so integrated in everyday life, it almost seems normal. Barbara (Nina Hoss) is a doctor from Berlin who gets exiled to a small town in East Germany. She tries to get back to the west, but in the meantime she works at a small hospital where she finds it hard to trust her colleague Andre. Life crawls on and Barbara has to deal with house searches and body check-ups. Stuff she is completely used to, which makes it even more frightening for us westerners.

Director Christian Petzold (who turns 52 today) made a film that creeps under the skin. It’s slow, nothing really happens, although the end has a surprising twist. Barbara is a must-see for everyone who enjoyed Das Leben der Anderen.

Watch this film in Cineville‘s Cinecenter and Het Ketelhuis.

Ted

I know, usually I don’t talk about films that are only showing in Pathé. But since I’m a huge fan of Family Guy I could not leave Ted unmentioned. Seth MacFarlane –yes, the creater of Family Guy, hero– made his first real film. And it’s about a friendship between a man (Mark Wahlberg) and his politically incorrect teddy bear (voice by MacFarlane). At first I thought: “this is so not funny”. After I saw the trailer I still thought: “this is so not funny”. Seeing the actual film made me think otherwise. Ted is full of intelligent jokes, like we’re used to from Family Guy. Of course there are also some Hollywood clichés, mostly about pot and chicks, but I still had to laugh. The bubbly Mila Kunis also helps, she plays Wahlberg’s girlfriend. She likes Ted, she just wants him to find his own place. Problems in bromance world begin.

Watch this film in Pathe (Arena and De Munt).

Deal

Dutch film maker Eddy Terstall found a cute girl in his favourite bar again. This time it’s Roberta Petzoldt. She works as a (performance) artist and Terstall got her her first acting job. The plot line is simple: a guy (Teun Kuilboer) and a girl meet in a bar (Terstall’s favourite, of course). The girl would like to know how much the guy would pay to have sex with her. Well, €2000. “Deal”, she says. Midas tries to give the deal a special touch by taking her to Barcelona for the weekend. In the end, the question is whether he has to pay the money or not.

Deal is a nice ‘rom-com’, and the soundtrack by Benjamin Herman gives the film an extra sizzling feel. Recommended for anyone who doesn’t want to say goodbye to the summer yet.

Watch this film in Cineville‘s Cinecenter and EYE.

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