And all the sudden everyone in the Netherlands knew Kluun (the author). He wrote this perfect and heart breaking story based on his own life. Kluun lost his wife of cancer and cheated on her to get distraction. The book and therefor the movie are about struggle against cancer, if you need to hear one sentence.
I was happily surprised after I saw the movie, which is based on the book. All the emotions you feel when reading, you feel the same emotions when watching the movie, which is a huge compliment. The actors bring the characters of the book to life and they do it in a brilliant and subtle way. The movie is beautiful and a justice to the book and the author. It's just as pure and honest as the author has meant for the book. So, forget who are acting or directed it, just watch the movie.
The original Dutch title is 'Komt een vrouw bij de dokter' (the English version of the book is named 'Love Life', the movie 'A woman goes to the doctor'), which needs an explanation. The sentence is the first line of one of those typical Dutch jokes. Kluun explains that he wished that the story of him and his wife would have ended up like one of these terrible jokes.
The story is about a young and successful married couple, Stijn and Carmen and their daughter Luna. Then all the sudden, after a visit to the PG ('dokter' or 'huisarts' in Dutch), followed by the hospital, Carmen is diagnosed with breast cancer. No need to say that their beautiful world they live in, collapses. While Carmen is starting chemo therapy and so on, Stijn does what he does best to deal with this situation he can't control; cheating on his wife.
Stijn has cheated before, which Carmen knew. She has confronted him in the past and he told her the truth. Now he's the supporting husband during the day, but at night time he turns back to his old habits; having sex with other women. Again, Carmen knows, but can handle the fact that her husband isn't the monogamous type. She knows that those women aren't important and at the end of the day Stijn will always come back to her. And to Stijn, other women are just entertainment, one night stands, women he doesn't need to see again, it's just sex.
But things get worse for Carmen and after losing her breast and hair, she isn't the confident woman as she was before and she doesn't feel comfortable anymore with Stijn cheating on her. During that period, Stijn gets to know Roos. It started with sex, but he realizes he wants more from Roos. And because of Roos, he stays away more often. But while Stijn is with Roos, Carmen prepares Luna that she'll be gone. Carmen realizes she wants and needs the full attention of her husband to be there for her and their daughter. She asks him to quit cheating to work on their marriage. Stijn agrees, but things are getting worse and worse with Carmen, which means it's getting more difficult for Stijn to handle it. To handle life with a dying Carmen, Luna to support and the sexy Roos he desperately wants at the same time.
The movie is Dutch, but has Enlgish subtitles. Please, take the effort to watch it (or buy at least the book). You'll be ended up in tears, it's worth it. I can recommend it and I would even urge people to do so. Often the partners of the one with cancer are pushed to the background, while they also have to struggle just as hard although in a different way). You can be narrow minded and judge Stijn, but in the end it's a way of surviving.
I saw the movie with my husband who haven't read the book. We both ended up in tears and we both needed some time to process what we've just seen.
SPOILER ALERT: Stijn supports his wife the best way he can. But he ends up with Roos again, despite the promise he made his wife. Ofcrouse these 2 life and work won't combine, which results in a huge fight with Carmen. At that point he realizes that Carmen's life is too short to split it with Roos. Although by now he loves Roos, he chooses to support Carmen and Luna for the rest of her life. After a short period of time, Carmen can't handle it anymore and decides she wants to commit euthanasia. After this very emotional moment of saying goodbye and let each other go. Stijn then wants Roos to be part of the funeral. Even though it might started for the sex, he also realizes that his marriage probably would have ended in a divorce if it wasn't for Roos. Because of his relationship with Roos and Roos's support, he had the strength to support and love his wife till the very end.
In real life, Stijn (Kluun) is still with Roos (Naat). His 2nd daughter (of Kluun and Naat) is named Roos after the character Roos. The book is dedicated to his first wife Juud (Carmen in the book) and Naat.
I was happily surprised after I saw the movie, which is based on the book. All the emotions you feel when reading, you feel the same emotions when watching the movie, which is a huge compliment. The actors bring the characters of the book to life and they do it in a brilliant and subtle way. The movie is beautiful and a justice to the book and the author. It's just as pure and honest as the author has meant for the book. So, forget who are acting or directed it, just watch the movie.
The original Dutch title is 'Komt een vrouw bij de dokter' (the English version of the book is named 'Love Life', the movie 'A woman goes to the doctor'), which needs an explanation. The sentence is the first line of one of those typical Dutch jokes. Kluun explains that he wished that the story of him and his wife would have ended up like one of these terrible jokes.
The story is about a young and successful married couple, Stijn and Carmen and their daughter Luna. Then all the sudden, after a visit to the PG ('dokter' or 'huisarts' in Dutch), followed by the hospital, Carmen is diagnosed with breast cancer. No need to say that their beautiful world they live in, collapses. While Carmen is starting chemo therapy and so on, Stijn does what he does best to deal with this situation he can't control; cheating on his wife.
Stijn has cheated before, which Carmen knew. She has confronted him in the past and he told her the truth. Now he's the supporting husband during the day, but at night time he turns back to his old habits; having sex with other women. Again, Carmen knows, but can handle the fact that her husband isn't the monogamous type. She knows that those women aren't important and at the end of the day Stijn will always come back to her. And to Stijn, other women are just entertainment, one night stands, women he doesn't need to see again, it's just sex.
But things get worse for Carmen and after losing her breast and hair, she isn't the confident woman as she was before and she doesn't feel comfortable anymore with Stijn cheating on her. During that period, Stijn gets to know Roos. It started with sex, but he realizes he wants more from Roos. And because of Roos, he stays away more often. But while Stijn is with Roos, Carmen prepares Luna that she'll be gone. Carmen realizes she wants and needs the full attention of her husband to be there for her and their daughter. She asks him to quit cheating to work on their marriage. Stijn agrees, but things are getting worse and worse with Carmen, which means it's getting more difficult for Stijn to handle it. To handle life with a dying Carmen, Luna to support and the sexy Roos he desperately wants at the same time.
The movie is Dutch, but has Enlgish subtitles. Please, take the effort to watch it (or buy at least the book). You'll be ended up in tears, it's worth it. I can recommend it and I would even urge people to do so. Often the partners of the one with cancer are pushed to the background, while they also have to struggle just as hard although in a different way). You can be narrow minded and judge Stijn, but in the end it's a way of surviving.
I saw the movie with my husband who haven't read the book. We both ended up in tears and we both needed some time to process what we've just seen.
SPOILER ALERT: Stijn supports his wife the best way he can. But he ends up with Roos again, despite the promise he made his wife. Ofcrouse these 2 life and work won't combine, which results in a huge fight with Carmen. At that point he realizes that Carmen's life is too short to split it with Roos. Although by now he loves Roos, he chooses to support Carmen and Luna for the rest of her life. After a short period of time, Carmen can't handle it anymore and decides she wants to commit euthanasia. After this very emotional moment of saying goodbye and let each other go. Stijn then wants Roos to be part of the funeral. Even though it might started for the sex, he also realizes that his marriage probably would have ended in a divorce if it wasn't for Roos. Because of his relationship with Roos and Roos's support, he had the strength to support and love his wife till the very end.
In real life, Stijn (Kluun) is still with Roos (Naat). His 2nd daughter (of Kluun and Naat) is named Roos after the character Roos. The book is dedicated to his first wife Juud (Carmen in the book) and Naat.