Soof – Movie Review
Soof is based on the columns of Sylvia Witteman that appeared in a Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant, written about culinary as well as family. It starts with a rather awkward sex-scene that will make most of us feel a tad… awkward, mentioning research has shown that 86% of the Dutch population feels… you guessed it, awkward, when they unexpectedly encounter a sex-scene in a film. This little humorous notion sets the mood for what is to come and gives you a good idea of what you are about to watch for the next 95 minutes.
Soof, played by Lies Visschedijk, is a housewife who runs a modest catering business next to her day-to-day tasks of being a mother and spouse. This Western-European lifestyle, as many will be able to relate to, has a rather negative effect on the passion within the relationship she shares with her husband, impersonated by Fedja Van Huêt. This of course causes concerns and tension; especially when she is given the opportunity to expand her business, which allows her to meet new people – one of whom happens to be a handsome and pleasant choreographer. When Soof her husband decides to become a full-time house-husband and let her take on the duty of providing for the family, he overturns the generally accepted gender roles and perfectly sets the scene for what is needed to create a typical romantic comedy.
The plot of the film is uncomplicated and easy to follow, just like most films that are made for the Dutch audience. Together with the anecdotic storyline it allows for easy watching although the comedy aspect fades away at some point and we are in stead left to enjoy the romantic side of things. The story maintains an easy-going atmosphere although we encounter issues that one would not enjoy facing in general: a sense of Desperate Housewives meets Bridget Jones, a fun combination guaranteed. There is a well-enacted chemistry between Soof and Dan Karaty, the choreographer, who also in real life has thought out dance moves for artists like Justin Timberlake and Britney spears. He is also a judge in the popular tv-show So You Think You Can Dance? Canada, Australia but also The Netherlands. He doesn’t manage to transform himself though and also in the film remains being more of a dancer than an actor, something which perhaps puts a restraint on the sparks on the screen. Kudos to Lies Visschedijk, who remains very credible throughout the entire story, even when the humor calls for overacted situations and plausible behavior.
At some point one starts to wonder whether this we’ve-seen-it-all-before film will really end without the typical happy ending that can always be expected. But of course not. Even though it all stretches out at some point and starts feeling a bit like a drag, they have managed to keep it rather amusing. What the script lacks in the speed of the advancement of the story line it makes up for with comic dialogues and ridiculizing (in the nicest of ways) some of Netherlands’ famous actors and tv-celebrities. Fortunately, as not to disappoint the desire we get for a joyous coming together of events when we watch romcoms, all ends happily and well, leaving the viewer with a fuzzy feeling on the inside.
Conclusion
They certainly did not reinvent the wheel with this script and many films like this have already been made and surely will follow in the future. Although it felt boring at some points and could have done with more exciting twists and better worked out ideas, it is however a very nice example of a Dutch film that would be a shame to miss out on.
Soof - Movie Review,
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