So. Most people start there review about how they liked or disliked the movie. I won't. I had the pleasure of being at the kick-off meeting of 'the other side of the heart is white' (which at the time had no name) at Nirint Shipping. In that meeting we spoke about the possibilities we had for a movie about Feyenoord and its supporters. Both Brandon Baan and Leonardo Pansier were full with ideas for production and we had lots of fun at that meeting. To be honest, and they will hear of this for the first time while reading this review, I thought; Awesome idea but they will never. EVER. Pull this off. Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!!
In my lifetime I watched almost all Top 250 IMDb movies, and then some. I think that as a movie-lover I have earned the right to say "The Other Side of The Heart is White" is something else! It's a great mixture of a feel- good movie and a documentary. The movie is build out of one red-wire and four totally different characters that show us the love and the pain people endure being a Feyenoord-fan. It shows real passion and real tears. Real joy and real anger. For me this movie is all about the pleasure I find at being a football-supporter, but the movie also gives a real take on the rich culture the city of Rotterdam has to offer. To me it's a perfect combination of the club and city which stole my heart.
Now I hear you say, "mate, be honest with me"
sure I'm looking at this movie through red/white coloured glasses. But I can see this movie has its flaws. For people who expect to see a Hollywood kind-a movie, or a BBC documentary: You will not have a good time watching this! What are you expecting? With a main team of two lads this movie supersedes all I ever dreamt it could be. There are tiny errors in editing and the shots themselves sometimes clearly show that this is not a big-production movie. Some scenes even feel like shot in Dogma 95 style. To some that may be somewhat irritating, to me it shows this movie is about real people in real situations. To me those flaws is what makes this movie special. For a small-time production's first time: I can forgive them, so should you!!
Final line: Watching this movie is like attending a Feyenoord-game at De Kuip: Expect everything and you will be sadly mistaken. Expect the unexpected. Expect nothing and get all you ever need. I can't say this enough: This movie superseded all my expectations. It's not perfect, but neither is Feyenoord. It's a great watch for all those who love the game or those who don't understand what loving a football-club is all about.