Watch De Dominee For Free

I love this movie so much

Pretty Good

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

THE PREACHER (Gerrard Verhage - Netherlands 2004).Well crafted film about the rise and fall of Dutch drug-lord Klaas Bruinsma, based on the book by Bart Middelburg published in 1991, the year Bruinsma was assassinated before the Hilton in Amsterdam. In the '70s and '80s he was the key marijuana importer in Western Europe, and built a huge empire based on drug trafficking ("only soft drugs", he claims repeatedly), gambling and prostitution. At first he wants to stay clear from violence, but these attitudes don't last very long in the business like this, and soon he descends into an ever more violent downward spiral, until his own violent death.For unknown legal reasons the name of the main character in the film was changed to Klaas Donkers, but it's common knowledge the filmmakers were urged by Amsterdam crime figures to change a couple of names, mainly because of still ongoing violent disputes in the aftermath of his death (which - believe it or not - are still going on to this very day). So for the film they altered the name of the main character, but it's obvious the film deals, or at least is based, on the life of Klaas Bruinsma.And therein lies one of the weak points of this film. It doesn't seem to know whether it wants to be a screen biography or a more traditional crime saga, with the traditional blueprint of the genre. The rise of Klaas Donkers (Peter Paul Muller) into the big league happens so fast, he's in with the big boys in no time. Before you know what happened, he is negotiating with the very top bosses. Perhaps this was how it all went down, but it seemed a bit sudden to me.Peter Paul Muller as Klaas Donkers does OK and Frank Lammers as his right hand and bodyguard shows he is one of the top actors of his generation. A very intense performance. Chantal Janzen as Annet, his girlfriend, is less convincing. She seems to have decided she is gonna be tough throughout the whole film and delivers her lines with a wooden, albeit, pretty face. And why does she work at a market stand selling second hand clothes, even when she was already involved in a multi-million guilder business as Klaas Donkers accomplice and lover? A hobby of hers, selling second-hand clothes? Many remarks have been made about the set design. I must admit, it is a bit awkward. The film plays roughly from 1973 till 1991. With the exception of the last scene, which looks very much like 1991, the chronology is soon lost on the set designers and we see very strange mixtures of 1973 cars with late eighties clothes. In general, they could have eased up a little on the over-the-top '70s look. Throughout the entire film, they drive around in huge American cars from the early seventies and Amsterdam sometimes looks more like a Middle Eastern bazaar than a European city.Not a very strong film by any standard with an OK but somewhat confusing script, poor dialog and some sub-par performances, but when drugs, murder and beautiful women are involved, you're easily entertained. But be patient with the first twenty minutes.Camera Obscura --- 7/10

After some quite OK Dutch action flicks, like Lek and Van God Los, Gerrard Verhage wants to make a movie about the life of a Dutch mobster. Well, mobster is a big word for Klaas Bruinsma. He isn't a real international big guy like George Jung (Blow) or Pablo Escobar. He is just an Amsterdam lowlife who made some money by selling soft-drugs. Things are often blown up in the Netherlands, and this movie is just an other example. But even then, the movie could be very nice if the story was okay told. Now there are major jumps in time: one day KLaas is just an ordinary drug-boy, the next shot he seems to be a big player in the drug-scene. Nobody knows how's that possible (except for those who read the book). The acting is really bad, the non-Dutch movie-watchers get to see one of the worst actresses in the Netherlands: Chantal Janzen. When you think she finally gets naked, then you are watching a stand in model. So: bad acting + bad montage + crap story = De Dominee.Please don't watch it, even if other people say it's good, because it isn't. I've warned you.

For a dutch production, this one is pretty good. Although based on Klaas Bruinsma, the movie doesn't use all parts of the real life of Bruinsma at points, which is easily acceptable to actually spice up the movie. Only thing that had me curling my toes was the awful acting at times. Of the three main characters I'd say Frank Lammers puts on a marvelous performance, in great contrast with Chantal Janzen who I found hard to believe at times. The corny lines might not have been her fault, but those lines could have definitely been brought more realistically to actually represent an emotion like anger.. Peter Paul Muller did an OK job I guess, but it didn't really have me as excited as Frank Lammers who to me really stands out of the crowd with this performance.. Enough about acting then, the story: it's really a story with a great sense of irony in it. The man who wanted to be the biggest without losing himself in the criminal world of liquidation, but in the end he throws all morals overboard just to stay on top.. good enough for me! 7 out of 10 for a decent story, but corny dialogues at times and besides Frank Lammers' excellent performance, it really shows what a poor movie country Holland really is IMHO.

The movie is pretty good, as long as you haven't read the book or don't know the real life of Klaas Bruinsma. There are many changes in the film. Like people are being killed that weren't in the real life. The book only speaks of 9 liquidations and I don't know how many there were in the movie, but more then 9.Overall the movie is pretty good. The acting is believable and Chantal Jansen surprised me. Though she isn't a tough bitch as his wife in the book...Well if you haven't read the book I recommend the movie. If you've read it... don't go to see it as you will be disappointed...