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Pretty Good

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

This wild and dark Dutch film is not for everyone, but for those viewers who like all kinds of strange twists and surprises in their movies, this one could well be to your liking.Tom Dewispalaere stars as Schneider, a contract killer who reluctantly takes a job on his birthday, as he's assured that the "hit" will be quick and simple, on a writer living in an isolated lakeside bungalow. Alex van Warmerdan, who also wrote and directed the film, co-stars as Bax the supposed intended victim.However, I probably don't have to tell you that things will definitely not go according to plan, beginning with Bax's daughter Francisca (Maria Kraakman) showing up at the bungalow. From that point on, they'll be a whole series of bizarre happenings, that just get darker and darker as the movie progressed. To be aware,they'll be lots of drug usage on screen, a couple of scenes of nudity, an attempted sexual molestation, and, of course, lots of violence as you'd expect here.All in all, if this type of black humor is done well, as I thought this one certainly was, it can be a real treat. Although some of the plot elements didn't make complete sense and I wasn't thrilled with the ending, the overall scope of the film made it really enjoyable for me.

Schneider and Bax have a lot in common. Each is a hit man. They are both good at what they do. They also work for the same employer. Each, amazingly, has a job to do at the same time and on the same day. Also, both are targets. Each is unknowingly tasked with killing the other. This is where the similarities end however. Schneider and Bax have opposite styles, personalities and lives. Schneider is a family man, or at least he appears to be. He lives in the city and is methodical, devious and relentless in going about business. Bax, on the other hand, is carefree and lighthearted. This relaxed attitude is aided considerably by the heavy doses of drugs and alcohol he consumes. With his nightmare of a girlfriend and family, he probably needs them. As Schneider closes in on Bax the latter is visited, in turn, by his daughter, father and girlfriend, each of whom is unstable and volatile.This thrilling dark comedy is full of twists and turns as the hit men are constantly dealing with complications they did not expect. Alex van Warmerdam also directed Borgman, which is as zany as it is creepy (I loved it). Like Borgman, Schneider vs. Bax is also very different from traditional Hollywood slop, and van Warmerdam adds much more humor to the mix this time. The acting, directing, images and storyline are all good. The film falters only in that not enough money and talent was provided in order to move the film to the next level. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival 2015.

I'm a fan of actor-director-writer Alex van Warmerdam. This goes back to the 70 's, when he started with theater groups like Hauser Orkater and Mexicaanse Hond. I like his dry humor, his lugubrious stories, his absurd dialogs. That he likes to make crime thrillers is obvious. It was already there in many earlier movies like Grimm, Last Days of Emma Blank and Borgman of course. In Schneider vs. Bax (2015) he goes back to basic: hit-man Schneider (Tom Dewispelaere) has to kill Ramon Bax (Alex van Warmerdam).Schneider gets the assignment just after his two young daughters sang happy birthday. He is not very willing to work, because of his birthday party tonight and he promised that he helped his wife with the preparation. But she understands - she is over the top understanding. And although he keeps up his unwilling attitude when he talks to his client Mertens (Gene Bervoets), he is going to do it.Bax is in a lake house in the reeds. He kicks his girlfriend out, because his daughter is coming. I thought we had a serious relationship? We have, how can I prove it? To introduce me to your daughter. Not now, My daughter is a little bit troublesome. Indeed, his daughter Francisca (Maria Kraakman) is depressed and making a scene out of everything. He offers her different kind of drugs, but she refuses and condemns his drug use. I don't' say anything about you eating muesli, Bax replies. Muesli is disgusting and for goats. Francisca gets so frustrated that she runs away into the reeds, the swamp and the woods. In the woods she finds shelter in a desolated shed. Woods and sheds appear often in Van Warmerdam movies and plays. Bax is going to look for her, but cannot find her and returns to the lake house.This is my only spoiler, although it doesn't reveal a lot. Maybe if I reveal the full synopsis, it even let you discover other elements, because you are not distracted by the tension of the story. Schneider vs Bax is constantly thrilling. The absurd and hilarious dialogs and scenes don't interfere with this tension. It doesn't become ridiculous or implausible; they seem normal. On the contrary: the unexpected events yield greater tension. The unexpected can happen and is not strange at all. For me that is the heart of the work of Alex van Warmerdam.There are no explanations or motifs. Why Schneider or Bax have to be killed is not mentioned for a second and it is not bothering the story. Why Schneider and Bax are hit-man? Nevertheless is Schneider vs. Bax highly entertaining and gripping. The acting is cool and straight forward, strictly directed by Alex van Warmerdam. His wife Annette Malherbe helped him, did also the casting (and plays a main role). The movie is recorded is Groningen, in the north of Holland. Good to see that we still have such empty places in our small, over-crowded country. It is crime, but not all hatred. In the end there is love. Between Bax and Francisca. Between Schneider and Gina. And the overall happy family of Schneider, his wife and two kids. We saw the movie in the impressive film institute of Amsterdam, where they show a subtitled version. So foreigners can enjoy the movie too, but they miss a lot of nuances that cannot be translated. Even my wife and I talked about so many details, that cannot be captured in a review. Another great movie of the happy Van Warmerdam family!

I was not particularly interested in Schneider vs. Bax, although I am quite a Van Warmerdam-fan – especially after his magnificent movie, Borgman. I thought it would be a dark, sombre, shoot 'm up, where man's barbarous, grimy soul would be shown. But the movie proved me wrong. It is a far more comic and playful film than I suspected. Yes, it is a shoot 'm up: a hunt between two hit man. But it is as far removed from ordinary man hunt movie as can be. The grim, dark humor of Van Warmerdam, the beautiful northern Dutch water landscape and the intricate script makes it a great movie experience. Schneider vs. Bax is the next great Van Warmerdam film.