AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

GoldmundX Dutch movies have a tendency to be mediocre at best. Once in a while a movie comes by that surpasses the norm. This is not one of them. The story, while not the most original one, offers potential. Four old friends being confronted with the bankruptcy of their youthful ideals and midlife disillusionment, come together again and hope to refind themselves through each other. Plenty of potential one would think. But Cloaca fails to deliver. And that's really a missed opportunity. It could have been so much better. Bad writing and bad acting are the main culprits. It's an adaptation of a play, but it's maladapted to be suited for the screen. While some scenes offer an authentic feel, others are really painful, with awkward dialogues and clumsy overacting. Moreover, character development and the development of the relationship between the characters is awkward, undermining the whole movie. The flow of the movie doesn't feel natural. At points even the actors don't seem to know anymore. In some scenes they loose themselves in dramatic overacting, in other scenes they seem to struggle with the 'comical' elements. The collage near the end, with the substories coming close to a climax, doesn't fit well with the actually 'climax' of the movie, where the drama is not lifted, but slips through the fingers of the movie makers. It's a shame. The movie would have had more potential in more capable hands.

tominthahouse It's been a while since I saw this film, but the one thing I remember best is the fact I was so unimpressed by the acting. While I was still living in Holland, a friend of the family said: 'if you want to see the creme de la creme of Dutch acting, rent this film!' So I did and I wasn't impressed in the least by the unconvincing Dutch actors. Seeing British and (fair enough) a few American actors on screen, you believe they are the people they're portraying. But in this film, I'm sad to say, I had the feeling that the four main actors were very uncomfortable, undoubtedly did their best, but the outcome is nothing much... If you like arty films and are a fan of any of the actors, go and rent it... But if you really want to see a good Dutch film, rent 'Van God Los'. That was far better than this, (this was, to sum up: a rather weak effort to make it feel like a good film). and based on real events.

jos-destrooper The story about four men in their mid-life crisis is well written and does not loose focus at any moment. Convincing actors. I did not like the scene with the prostitute. All scenes are realistic and seem to come out of really every-day life. The psychology of the friends is well described by strong dialogue.

jgeerling 2003 was a good year for Dutch Cinema. Not only did we see the success release of 'Van God Los' and 'Phileine zegt sorry', 2003 also saw the release of Cloaca. This movie will appeal to a smaller audience than the other two i just mentioned, but if you read this, go see it. The movie is about four former student buddyies who meet each other in their mid-40ties. One just left his wife, another was a top lawyer but had a nervous breakdown. The 3th guy has a legal battle with his boss, and the last is a director of a stage play, and he is screwing his main actress, the 18 year old daughter of his best friend. The 4 meet and see that their dreams in college have not exactly come true. The question is, is there still a way out for any of them. This may sound like the beginning of a feel good movie, but it isn't. cloaca is funny, dark, depressing and ultimately without mercy. A must see.