The beyond-hilarious Dutch dark comedy "The Deflowering of Eva Van End," which comes out on DVD on December 3 2013, further shows that the best brains at Film Movement can do not wrong regarding their always independent (and usually foreign) selections for their Film of the Month Club. Past films that Unreal TV has reviewed from this collection include "Three Worlds" and last month's truly unforgettable "Broken."
A subscription to this club is a no-brainer holiday gift for any friend whose taste in film extends beyond a production that is a vehicle for its star or stars.
Like the other movies in Film Movement's monthly series, "Eva" is great because its themes extend beyond the borders of the country in which it is set. In this case, every viewer can easily relate to a seemingly perfect German exchange student hilariously disrupting the daily lives of a not-so-perfect Dutch family.
The following trailer, courtesy of YouTube, perfectly conveys the advertised observation that "Eva" perfectly blends sincerity and satire.
Film Movement's typically excellent liner notes provide further context by stating that the film is funny because its true; young (and hip) director Michiel ten Horn writes about the experience of his bringing a German exchange student into his own dysfunctional home. His description of this event provides a strong sense that he could have made "Eva" by editing together ten Horn family home movies.
The hilarity ensues in "Eva" even before the very quiet and timid teen-aged titular character surprises her family, which largely ignores her, by showing up with Veit the exchange student. We already know by this time that Eva makes the "Welcome to the Dollhouse's" uber-demure and geeky Dawn Wiener seem like Miss Teen USA.
Eva's mother Etty is a stereotypical housewife who has centered her entire life around her largely distant husband Evert and three self-centered teen-aged offspring. Eva's brother Manuel is a pot-smoking slacker and her other brother Mardou is obsessed with his power as a mid-level manager of a big-box hardware store.
The arrival of the very attractive, exceptionally caring, and extraordinarily tolerant Veit into this arguably typical nuclear family home sets off wonderfully comical changes.
Aside from the fall-on-the-floor not-so-climatic scene that provides "Eva" its title, Veit's best moments relate to his impacts on Mardou and Etty. His influences on those characters is far greater and ultimately more damaging than his not-so-memorable memorable encounter with Eva. One can only imagine that she is thinking of the Netherlands during that brief (this will be funny when you see the film) event.
As a special holiday bonus, Film Movement supplements the standard exceptional bonus short that accompanies its film with a second short. ten Horn directs both 15-minute movies.
The first film "Basta" is a highly creative one full of awesome surprises that are too special to spoil in this review; the plot revolves around two desperate brothers horribly deceiving their elderly mother to motivate her to cook for them. Not nominating this one for an Oscar justifies bringing the persons responsible for such an oversight on trial before the Hague.
The second film "Arie" is a funny and sweet surreal story about an elderly man and his canary living in a nursing home. This one is less creative than "Basta" but still great odd fun.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding any film on this DVD or about Film Movement is encouraged to email me. I am also on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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