Borgman (2013)

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

There was a time when every single distributed film didn't need to be a perfect lesson in character psychology, motive and naturalistic behaviour. I'm as bored of it in indie films as blockbusters.Thankfully someone in the Netherlands still has a sense of absurd humour. I don't need reasons for everything, thanks. I don't need to align a symbolic meaning with everything I see (I bet this drives some people nuts trying to interpret every image) I can make my own mind up, and appreciate this Director for giving me the space to do so. Stuff happens. It's funny. It's dark. Borgman himself is a great existential force of remorselessness - the character will stay in your head for a long time, despite not understanding who he is or why he does what he does. I have my version of events, you'll have yours, just enjoy it.I saw this the same night I watched Dogtooth. What a night! Great double bill. Would go well with Holy Motors too.

Weird and unnerving are a couple words which accurately describe the experience that is watching this film. What the film means is anyone's guess, and nothing is really spelled out or explained. This actually is a good thing, though, because the viewer can take away from it what they want. The story is about a vagrant named Borgman who insinuates himself into this affluent family's home and slowly makes life a living hell for them. The overall tone of the film is one of unease, mystery and black humor, peppered with a shock every now and then. There are several scenes which may stick with you long after finishing it, and there are a few that are still with me now. Comparing this to anything else is futile, except that if you like weird, disturbing movies (like I do), then you will probably love this. From a quality standpoint, everything is well-shot and all of the actors, including the children, give good performances as far as I can tell (Dutch isn't a language I speak). The tone of the film is also set very well by the score, which is off-kilter and dissonant. Since it is best to go into this film with as little information as possible, I'll end here. Suffice it to say, if you're brave enough to give this a try, you might end up liking it as I did.

One of the most meaningless movies I have ever seen in my life! Lots of people who are not talented at all in any 'art field', lets say, would admire, and say 'wow, what a great movie' just because they don't understand it, where the truth is this movie is simply waste of time.. Good movie is the one which makes you think or feel something; giving you a perspective of how would one feel in another man's shoes; giving an option of being a judge or a victim, and all that as a plane thought experiment. This movie fail to do any of these things. Conversations are completely disconnected, shallow and there is no point in it at all. Strange doesn't mean remarkable, it means something that has been said or done differently apart from socially acceptable rules, but still with some sense and hidden meaning which makes you think and ask questions you didn't ask before. This movie is not strange whatsoever but it feels like somebody had a great idea but didn't really know how to communicate it and end it.

Few writers and directors try to stretch the limits of what a movie can do. Here you have a really interesting concept, which is to satirize upper middle class life in the West by juxtaposing it with a surreal group of characters and a ridiculous plot. The problem is that the movie takes itself and its message so seriously that the end effect is simply boredom. There is not a shred of humor or self-awareness or even fun in the movie--it's like a Bunuel movie made by a serious group of teenagers. Such a shame, because it starts off so promising. It's almost impossible to watch till the end, despite the occasional, wonderful visuals, such as the bodies in the water.