Running Time: 107 minutes
Directed By: George Sluizer
Written By: Tim Krabbe, George Sluizer, from the novel The Golden Egg by Tim Krabbe
Main Cast: Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Gene Bervoets, Johanna ter Steege, Gwen Eckhaus, Bernadette Le Sache
Click here to view the trailer
POOF!
You know, I really didn't plan it, but much like the "Double Shot of Lecter" it was a happy accident that I decided to watch "The Vanishing" so close to Halloween, as it kind of falls under the banner of horror. Actually, I'd consider it a thriller, but that's close enough.
The film begins on the road, as Rex Hofman (Bervoets) and his girlfriend Saskia (ter Steege) are driving through France, on vacation. They're a fun couple, the kind of couple you come across everyday that have inside jokes between each other and their occasional tiffs. When the duo pull into a gas station to fill up, Rex waits in the car while Saskia goes to buy them some beverages. After a while, Rex gets impatient and goes to hunt for Saskia, but she is nowhere to be found. He scours the entire perimeter of the rest area and comes to the brutal realization that Saskia has vanished. He waits until dark, questioning customers and rest area personnel, getting nowhere. Fast forward three years and we find Rex hanging posters of Saskia, that read "Have you seen this girl?". Rex is now, as much as ever, obsessed with finding Saskia. Here's a quote that pretty much sums up Rex's feelings:
Sometimes I imagine she's alive. Somewhere far away. She's very happy. And then, I have to make a choice. Either I let her go on living and never know, or I let her die and find out what happened. So... I let her die.
Meanwhile, the viewer knows that the perpetrator is Raymond Lemorne (Donnadieu), a chemistry teacher. We see, through flashback, that he planned this kidnapping for a while, although, at first, it isn't clear why he abducted Saskia. He's a successful teacher with a wife and two daughters and living a seemingly normal, perfect life. As the film progresses, we learn more about Raymond, his thoughts and see more of the missing puzzle pieces in the disappearance of Saskia.
SPOILER ALERT!
I remember seeing the remake of "The Vanishing" probably something like five years ago, starring Jeff Bridges and Kiefer Sutherland and not thinking too much of it. However, Netflix seemed to think I'd love this one and since they've got my tastes gauged pretty well, I was excited to watch this. It's always fun, for me anyway, to watch remakes (whether you see the original or the remake first) and see where the two versions differ and the varying approaches taken by each filming. In this case, both renditions were directed by George Sluizer and it's obvious that he got it right the first time. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a sad ending and it doesn't get much more bleak than the ending to Sluizer's original "The Vanishing". In fact, there's not a lot to dislike here, as the film is easy to follow, exciting, gripping, interesting and intriguing and packs quite the punch, be it for movie snobs or casual movie goers. The leads are magnificently cast, especially Donnadieu who stole the show and almost had me rooting for him.
If memory serves me correctly, this film was also more intricate on the details, mainly the "why" of Raymond's master plan. Raymond bases his entire scenario on whether or not he's capable of committing an evil act, this coming after he commits a heroic act. It didn't quite make sense at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that for a teacher and an obvious intellectual, this is probably a common type of thought. Also, fans of the utilization of the flashback will be in heaven with this movie, as it incorporates many flashback sequences, so that we, the viewer, can ultimately piece together the entire puzzle for ourselves. It's worth noting that I watched this film last night and that I was extremely exhausted last night. Normally I'd start to doze off, but, in fact, I didn't at all and the film actually energized me a little bit. Isn't it amazing when a film can literally change your mood? I could say A LOT more, but I'm tired and it's my blog and I'm gonna' leave it at that.
RATING: 8/10 It had a bit of a slow start and certain, very minor things were unclear, so therefore I can't go the full monty, but it's definitely worth checking out.
MOVIES WATCHED: 556
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 445
October 20, 2012 4:35pm
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