Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Skyler Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

John Johnson The film starts on the waterways of the Netherlands. Jacob Katadreuffe is a young man born to a single mother. His mother had a brief stay as a housekeeper at the home of a disreputable local official. She became pregnant with his child and left him, whether rape or not is unclear. She raises her child, Jacob, alone. He has a hard time growing up as a bastard child, even being swindled at one point when trying to buy a cigar shop. This endeavor gets him into serious debt, that and his attempts to get himself a law degree, bring him into contact with his estranged father, Dreverhaven. Despite his father's conniving attempts to prevent the young Jacob from doing well, Jacob is able to get his degree. His success and previous altercations lead him into physical conflict with Dreverhaven. He's under suspicion for the murder of Dreverhaven, but it's never clear if he actually did it to me. In any event he's found not guilty and ultimately inherits his father's fortune.It's amazing to get a fresh view of Europe. So much of modern cinema focuses on WW2 or the Cold War, that we're led to forget that there are other stories to tell. I like this take on capitalism and ethics without going so far as to bring in the Soviet influence. There was a lot of controversy all through Europe at the time that focused as much on urban life as ideology.The interaction of the youth in school is also very good. The clothing, the muddy streets, and the fighting amongst the kids paints a vivid, if not realistic image, of life at the time. I particularly liked the school yard fight.I wasn't crazy about the narrative; it seemed like his interrogator would have had less patience otherwise it would be 10/10.I'd recommend this to anyone, but especially if you liked "Angela's Ashes".

kindredparadox You will enjoy this movie if you really into drama. One might confuse of why this movie categorize as mystery at first from reading the plot of Karakter. The plot has said it all, young lawyer, mute mother, ruthless father, both tormenting the protagonist all his life, but the young lawyer turn out to be successful.This is one of the best drama that based on ordinary circumstances, but the way it presented makes it an interesting story. The truth is I have known what was happening in the film, because coincidently it's similar to my personal situation. Nevertheless, the movie still captivated me until the end.Now where is the mystery in this film? You will know later that the mystery is the two characters. His father and his mother. They both will makes the film interesting until it finish. This is the type of mystery, where you know who are the mystery, but the mystery itself is inside them. Thus, this is why the film is an excellent drama.If you to watch movie that both entertaining and have impact to your real life, then this is for you. This is a movie that can relate to your life. It will bring out only the positive of you.

ejs-80 "Karakter" is an awesome movie with an ingenious plot. During the film you end up repeatedly wondering why certain characters behave the way they do, and with the help of marvelous actors (especially Jan Decleir/Dreverhaven), the resolutions always surprise you and leave you pondering. The magnificent cinematography deserves a praise, too, and despite the prolonged chess-game quality of the battle between Jacob Katadreuffe and his father, everything that happens regarding this has a curious thriller aspect to it.Victor Löw's appearance as De Gankelaar is very impressive (perhaps in some ways comparable to Brando's Don Corleone in the Godfather, although these characters are not alike). Also the ethereal beauty (in my opinion) of Tamar van den Dop as Lorna te George didn't hurt my enjoyment of this film at all.Altogether, don't miss "Karakter" if you ever have a chance to watch it!

Diand Many people describe the movie as distant and cold. But that's exactly what the makers were aiming for to stay congruent with the 2 novels of Bordewijk where Karakter / Character is based upon. Bordewijk's style is often described as Nieuwe Zakelijkheid (best translation: New Objectivity, think Sinclair Lewis), a counter movement to the upcoming Expressionism in the 20s of the last century. Instead of the idealism of Expressionists more emphasis was put on reality, objectivity and facts in a sober and distant form with little room for frivolity, superficial beauty, sentimentality or explaining behavior. Not only does the style of the novels reflect this, the world the characters inhabit has the same characteristics. Viewed from this standpoint they made an amazing adaptation from a novel, correct in both style and content. But the movie defines more than an art movement, because the characters portrayed tell a lot about the Dutch in general, and this in a way also defines Dutch national identity.The story itself is about perseverance. Jacob is the son of a relation without love. His parents never marry, the mother leaves soon after she finds out she is pregnant. His mother is stubborn, his father a man without compassion working as a bailiff. Both parents push their son in their own way, his mother almost drives him out of her home, his father lends him money thus starting a battle over the upper hand in their relationship. The father brings adversity to his son in the hope to make him stronger. In line with the style of the novel none of the characters ever experience love. In fact the whole movie contains not one passionate scene. The only character showing emotion (De Gankelaar, an excellent role played by Victor Löw) leaves the country. It has a Nietzschian philosophical angle with the debate of lightness and weight: Jacob's burdens give his life a meaning, but are the sacrifices worth it? Location scouts did a wonderful job here, because Karakter recreates pre-war Rotterdam, a city almost totally flattened by the Nazis (There is a harrowing photo of the city after the bombardments with only the main church still standing). The production and art departments made the sets with their darkish colors fitting the form and content of the movie. The camera is used in a way to create some fluidity in the scenes: It almost never is static as with so many character dramas.Fedja van Huêt as Jacob and Jan Decleir as Dreverhaven seem to understand what's going on here and act accordingly. Tamar van den Dop as Lorna is probably the greatest weakness in the movie, with a terrible diction and limited body movement she's miscast here.Mike van Diem makes only one movie, wins an Oscar, and disappears almost from the earth. Although rumor has it he does some script doctoring in Hollywood, with his current production rate he will surpass even Malick. As for now, this is by far the best Dutch movie ever made.