Stunning photography in the opening shot of this slightly aloof tale in which Noa [Sullivan Ouedraogo] has to come to terms with the tragic death of his father [Henri Pardo] at the age of 40. Father (at least in part) identified as a woman named Silvia and liked to dress up as such, a secret kept by Noa and his mother [Patricia Dorval]. The story hinges on the dilemma of how and if Noa and his mother can honor Silvia as he was, or if they keep up the facade of the conventional family. Olmos knows how to conjure up some stunning imagery and Ouedraogo and Dorvall are quite convincing as mother and child, but it's never quite clear what the fuss is all about.
Murphy [Calvin Dean] is an autistic young adult, who lives with his brother and his mother in a small house in Gillingham, close to FC Gillingham Football Stadium where he does some work keeping up the place. Meanwhile Murphy's brother Mike [Alastair Natkiel] tries a bit too hard to get some recording down with the help of music producer Dan [Bob Goody]. Mike vents his frustrations on his brother, particularly as Murphy always wears his headphones so he can listen to music. The family has been hit by a tragic event, as becomes clear in the barely believable and sentimental ending. And no, that's not Mazzy Star you hear at the end, although Lantern On The Lake do a good job of emulating their sound, which is probably quite intentional.
Lisa Konno is the daughter of Nobuaki Konno, a former karate-champion who moved to Amsterdam in the late seventies. He virtually speaks no Dutch at all and clearly enjoys dressing up in traditional clothing, but for quite some time he worked as a tourist guide for Japanese visitors to the Dutch Capital and therefore knows more about the city then most people who consider themselves to be 'Amsterdammers'. In one of a number of witty scenes we see him dancing in front of a take-away while he eats a croquette, a staple of Dutch cuisine which he clearly enjoys. Also notice that he's got the symbol of Amsterdam embroidered on his Japanese clothes! If there is an underlying message that you should not judge immigrants simply by appearances, it is not all that convincing. However, this is an irresistible bit of fun with an extremely engaging (and very humourous) subject.
Shot on location this family drama benefits from the fact that Andi and Florist are brothers in real life, which makes their scenes work. There is a lack of focus in this tale of a family desperately trying to sell all kinds of foods in order to make ends meet. Andi, the younger brother, wants nothing more than to have his own phone. Meanwhilde the older brother has other plans, of which both Andi and the audience become aware at the very end. As surprising as the final twist may be, because there is no real build-up to it, it's dramatically unsatisfying.
Exactly why the opening spends a lot of time talking about the meaning of Santa Claus and his little helpers isn't quite clear. It is clear that little Martin is looking forward to a nice family Christmas. His mother, however, is 'looking for love in all the wrong places', as she hooks up with a mysterious man who not only leaves empty promises, but also has dealings with Martins older brother. Things come to a head when Martin himself decides to go and look for Christmas decorations in the shed and makes a surprising discovery which he believes will ensure a happy Christmas. But the discovery has unforeseen consequences. Takes a bit too much time to set up, but the second half is quite good with a decent dose of irony and a finale which is both funny and effective.
Not a sequel to Fucking Sokken, even though this short is also set during a family celebration. As he is about to arrives at his grandmother's birthday party Stef, who has a terrible stutter, tells his mother: "I will tell it myself." Clearly, he has a big announcement to make but once the family has arrived it seems impossible for Stef to finish just one sentence. But Stef is determined and won't give up! Not really surprising this comedy drama, but this benefits from a sense of authenticity, particularly when several conversations take place at the same time. The timing in the inevitable final confrontation is perfect. This doesn't provide you with any remarkable insights, but it is well-directed nevertheless.
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