Inclubabu Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

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.

juliusmartinus Any man should recognize himself in one of the four male characters in this picture. The way these men try (!) to open up to each other demonstrates the difficulties men always had and will have to deal with emotions, friendship, loyalty and relationships. With some (hilarious) subtle jokes, intertwined in strong dialogs and acting, these topics are clearly not men's favorite. Yet, this picture demonstrates that men are eager to to be sensing creatures, even if nature did not make them that way. Women should see this movie instead of any Oprah-like show about understanding the opposite sex. At least one woman has these insights and she wrote this wonderful story!

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.