Searching round on IMDb a few months ago,I stumbled upon an excellent review by a fellow IMDber about lead actress Sylvia Kristel's film debut.Tracking down the DVD,I was disappointed to find,that despite having English subtitles,the DVD did not have any audio! Being desperate to view the title,I started frantically searching round online,so that I could finally meet Frank and Eva.
The plot:
Crashing into a car whilst drink driving, Frank leaves behind the car and his girlfriend,and rushes back to his wife Eva.Running a small clothing business,Eva finds her time being consumed by the challenges of keeping the business afloat,while Frank makes the most of their "open" marriage arrangement.Having given Frank the cash to pay for the gas & electricity,Eva is left speechless when a man comes round from the gas board,telling Eva that she has to pay now,or else everything will be turned off.
Returning home,Frank finds that all the power has been turned off.Meeting the furious face of his wife,Frank finds out that Eva has refused to pay the bill,due to him having misused the cash that was meant for it.Visiting a gynaecologist after she has secretly stopped taking "the pill" for the last few weeks,Eva is shocked to discover that she is pregnant.Giving Frank the good news,Frank and Eva soon find themselves struggling with the idea that their "open marriage" may soon become closed off.
View on the film:
Straddling between the Art House and the Grind House,co-writer/ (along with Charles Gormley) director Pim de la Parra and cinematographer Frans Bromet gives the film a raw Kitchen Sink atmosphere by painting the entire location in worn out browns & blues,which along with expressing the fading intimacy in Frank & Eva's marriage,also allows for moments of suggestive sensuality to shine.For the sex scenes between Frank & Eva,Parra keeps away from giving them a glossy porn movie appearance,by instead focusing on the couples struggle to express themselves to each other.
While the screenplay does run the risk of being a rather grim affair,the writer's make sure to keep the sparks alive by surrounding the care-free Frank with a group of wonderful,off-beat characters,from an old man who sees his younger self in Frank,to an easy-going young women,who shows that looks can be deceiving. Largely focusing on the marriage,the writers spend the 90 minute running time dissecting each part of the marriage piece by piece,with a wraparound scene being expertly used to show the deterioration that the marriage has suffered throughout the film.
Making her film debut in a supporting role, Sylvia Kristel gives a terrific performance as Sylvia (what an original name for the character!) with Kristel giving Sylvia some good shots of sass,and also displaying a caring side,in an unexpectedly tender manner.Joining Kristel, Lex Goudsmit gives a brilliant performance as Max,with Goudsmit showing Max's heart to be desperate to keep up with Frank,but his body telling him that it is time to leave the party.
Closely working together, Hugo Metsers and the very pretty Willeke van Ammelrooy each give tremendous performances which beautifully bounce off each other.Entering the movie soaked in booze,Metsers shows a will glee in his eyes as Frank goes out on the town to make the most of his "open" relationship. As the number of women and drinks start to mount up,Metsers shows a terrifying sense of doubt unravel across Frank's face,as Frank finds himself being unable to stop his marriage from disintegrating. Avoiding the risk of the character being too straight-lace, Willeke van Ammelrooy shows Eva's desperation to express herself sexually,but finding nothing at all being given in return by Frank,which helps to make Frank & Eva's film an amazing experience.
The plot:
Crashing into a car whilst drink driving, Frank leaves behind the car and his girlfriend,and rushes back to his wife Eva.Running a small clothing business,Eva finds her time being consumed by the challenges of keeping the business afloat,while Frank makes the most of their "open" marriage arrangement.Having given Frank the cash to pay for the gas & electricity,Eva is left speechless when a man comes round from the gas board,telling Eva that she has to pay now,or else everything will be turned off.
Returning home,Frank finds that all the power has been turned off.Meeting the furious face of his wife,Frank finds out that Eva has refused to pay the bill,due to him having misused the cash that was meant for it.Visiting a gynaecologist after she has secretly stopped taking "the pill" for the last few weeks,Eva is shocked to discover that she is pregnant.Giving Frank the good news,Frank and Eva soon find themselves struggling with the idea that their "open marriage" may soon become closed off.
View on the film:
Straddling between the Art House and the Grind House,co-writer/ (along with Charles Gormley) director Pim de la Parra and cinematographer Frans Bromet gives the film a raw Kitchen Sink atmosphere by painting the entire location in worn out browns & blues,which along with expressing the fading intimacy in Frank & Eva's marriage,also allows for moments of suggestive sensuality to shine.For the sex scenes between Frank & Eva,Parra keeps away from giving them a glossy porn movie appearance,by instead focusing on the couples struggle to express themselves to each other.
While the screenplay does run the risk of being a rather grim affair,the writer's make sure to keep the sparks alive by surrounding the care-free Frank with a group of wonderful,off-beat characters,from an old man who sees his younger self in Frank,to an easy-going young women,who shows that looks can be deceiving. Largely focusing on the marriage,the writers spend the 90 minute running time dissecting each part of the marriage piece by piece,with a wraparound scene being expertly used to show the deterioration that the marriage has suffered throughout the film.
Making her film debut in a supporting role, Sylvia Kristel gives a terrific performance as Sylvia (what an original name for the character!) with Kristel giving Sylvia some good shots of sass,and also displaying a caring side,in an unexpectedly tender manner.Joining Kristel, Lex Goudsmit gives a brilliant performance as Max,with Goudsmit showing Max's heart to be desperate to keep up with Frank,but his body telling him that it is time to leave the party.
Closely working together, Hugo Metsers and the very pretty Willeke van Ammelrooy each give tremendous performances which beautifully bounce off each other.Entering the movie soaked in booze,Metsers shows a will glee in his eyes as Frank goes out on the town to make the most of his "open" relationship. As the number of women and drinks start to mount up,Metsers shows a terrifying sense of doubt unravel across Frank's face,as Frank finds himself being unable to stop his marriage from disintegrating. Avoiding the risk of the character being too straight-lace, Willeke van Ammelrooy shows Eva's desperation to express herself sexually,but finding nothing at all being given in return by Frank,which helps to make Frank & Eva's film an amazing experience.