The Dutch police discovers a badly burned corpse. It turns out that the victim was a Frisian farmer with a liking for money, legally obtained or not. Since the man was cordially disliked, there is no lack of suspects...
To begin with the good, this is a likeable thriller / cop movie with refreshing touches of wit and originality. Moreover, the complicity between police detectives Grijpstra and De Gier is a joy to behold, as is the complicity between the two actors playing the part. As far as I know this is the only movie in which both actors played these roles ; it's a pity, since I would have loved to see them do their stuff in other movies. The scenery is particularly well chosen, highlighting the great diversity of the Netherlands : on the one hand you get busy, teeming cities and on the other hand you get endless, wide-open landscapes where the sky and the sea mingle and meet.
However, the plot itself is hard to follow. There is a complicated storyline about Chinese gangs smuggling both drugs and immigrants, and there's another complicated storyline about an amoral farmer wanting to become very rich. Both storylines intersect, but don't ask me how. If you, dear reader, are capable of connecting all the dots, drop me a line the next time you visit Belgium. I'll gladly pay you a beer.
I must have read the source novel too, once - but the memory has gotten lost in time. Anyhow, I do recommend the various novels of Janwillem van de Wetering, he's quite a good writer with a fine sense of humor.
To begin with the good, this is a likeable thriller / cop movie with refreshing touches of wit and originality. Moreover, the complicity between police detectives Grijpstra and De Gier is a joy to behold, as is the complicity between the two actors playing the part. As far as I know this is the only movie in which both actors played these roles ; it's a pity, since I would have loved to see them do their stuff in other movies. The scenery is particularly well chosen, highlighting the great diversity of the Netherlands : on the one hand you get busy, teeming cities and on the other hand you get endless, wide-open landscapes where the sky and the sea mingle and meet.
However, the plot itself is hard to follow. There is a complicated storyline about Chinese gangs smuggling both drugs and immigrants, and there's another complicated storyline about an amoral farmer wanting to become very rich. Both storylines intersect, but don't ask me how. If you, dear reader, are capable of connecting all the dots, drop me a line the next time you visit Belgium. I'll gladly pay you a beer.
I must have read the source novel too, once - but the memory has gotten lost in time. Anyhow, I do recommend the various novels of Janwillem van de Wetering, he's quite a good writer with a fine sense of humor.