Deliver is one thing this movie doesn't.
Alfred (Fedja van Huet) and Guy (Freddy Douglas) need money, so, being the kind
of cool dudes they think they are, they make a deal to transport goods for the
drug kingpin Spike (Rik Launspach). Moving $25 million worth of XTC to Spain
should to be as easy as pie, the dudes think. Spike, slightly sicko and
extremely distrustful, makes several demands on these guys; one, that Alfred's
wife Anna (Esmee de la Bretoniere) stay behind as a guarantee; another, that
the boys follow a strict travel plan so that he can follow their every movement
keep a check on them. If they should miss even one of the telephone contact
points, something terrible could happen to Anna, Spike reminds them.
They expect a smooth ride until a Volkswagen, which seems to have fallen
straight out of the sky as (if it were dropped by a crane), delivers Loulou
(Aurelie Meriel) practically into their laps and involves them with a terrorist
group bent upon destroying the future of the European community. Nonsense?
You said it. As one disenchantedly races alongside them on their confusingly
appointed path, it is possible to take heart by knowing where it is all
eventually heading: toward the end. Only in a tale like this would you expect
to find two guys wrapping up tons of drugs in bubble-plastic and assuming that
this will make it easier to get past customs without suspicion. Only in a
tale like this could you find a Kevin Bacon look-a-like popping up in the most
unexpected places and acting like a demented sniper. Only in a tale like this
would you find a mixture of excruciatingly tangled accents that make the movie
even longer than the tale. Most incredible of all is not just that this piece
of work was nominated for Best Movie, but that it won the 1999 Golden Calf
award, Dutch equivalent of the Oscar, for Best Director. Roel Reine has made
his feature film-directing debut with what he refers to as a "road movie". Hit
it, Jack. Who knows what the future holds in store?
© 1994-2006 The Green Hartnett
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