Don't we all love (the products of) our home country? This seems to be the case with this film. It's getting numerous rave reviews in my home country, Belgium, but the only reason I can think of why this is happening, is because it's a Belgian film. This is actually Hollywood film-making, but with Belgian actors and situations. It ain't worse than your average Hollywood thriller, but it ain't exactly much better too. It's like the director, Erik van Looy, is shouting out: "Look what I can do: I can make a perfect copy of a Hollywood policier!"
In copying the Hollywood style, he surely has succeeded. It almost seems like every scene is an exact copy of what you have seen in superior films such as SE7EN (right up to the package of the killer at the end), MEMENTO (the notes on the lead character's arm), the Michael Mann films (the look of the film), etc. You could compare this film to those films, but that would be unfair: this simply has none of the greatness nor the originality of those films.
Thus said, the biggest problem of this film is its originality. You could predict every story "twist" as the films comes along right up to the final shot. It's quite enjoyable nonetheless, though it gets more and more frustrating in the end when you realize nothing surprising will happen.
Can you blame the actors for all of this? Well, I was never a big fan of Belgian actors and I still feel the same way. Some are pretty good, others are simply not believable. Actors like Koen De Bouw and Jo De Meyere get excellent reviews, but are quite disappointing in their one-dimensional approach to their characters. Jan Decleir is regarded as our best actor (he appears in almost every Belgian film), and he delivers with a decent, if not great, performance. Werner De Smedt is always watchable, though I liked him better in the Academy Award-nominated IEDEREEN BEROEMD! (not a great film either by the way, though I really liked that film's lead actor, Josse De Pauw). The supporting roles fare generally better, especially Dirk Roofthooft in a small but pivotal role, and actresses like Els Dottermans or Hilde De Baerdemaker (though their roles don't add up to much). But for a better actors' film, watch Tom Barman's ANY WAY THE WIND BLOWS (though actors and style is all that one's got).
Now, you might have guessed that I'm not a big fan of Belgian films, unlike most of the people I know, but I really wouldn't bother watching this film if you're not Belgian yourself. You could just as easily watch mediocre Hollywood fare like KISS THE GIRLS, BLOOD WORK, or another SE7EN/SILENCE OF THE LAMBS rip-off. De Zaak Alzheimer (The Alzheimer Case) is watchable enough, and at times rather funny, but I think mostly to Belgian audiences. The rivalry between the different Belgian police units, or the scandals in which almost every Belgian politician, advocate, prosecutor, or whatever is embroiled are quite amusing, but this film has really not that much more to offer. My rating would be a mere 5,5/10.
P.S.: for a good Belgian film, see if you can find ALLES MOET WEG (Everything Must Go), MANNEKEN PIS, ROSIE or (more or less)DAENS. See that I don't dislike em all? -)
In copying the Hollywood style, he surely has succeeded. It almost seems like every scene is an exact copy of what you have seen in superior films such as SE7EN (right up to the package of the killer at the end), MEMENTO (the notes on the lead character's arm), the Michael Mann films (the look of the film), etc. You could compare this film to those films, but that would be unfair: this simply has none of the greatness nor the originality of those films.
Thus said, the biggest problem of this film is its originality. You could predict every story "twist" as the films comes along right up to the final shot. It's quite enjoyable nonetheless, though it gets more and more frustrating in the end when you realize nothing surprising will happen.
Can you blame the actors for all of this? Well, I was never a big fan of Belgian actors and I still feel the same way. Some are pretty good, others are simply not believable. Actors like Koen De Bouw and Jo De Meyere get excellent reviews, but are quite disappointing in their one-dimensional approach to their characters. Jan Decleir is regarded as our best actor (he appears in almost every Belgian film), and he delivers with a decent, if not great, performance. Werner De Smedt is always watchable, though I liked him better in the Academy Award-nominated IEDEREEN BEROEMD! (not a great film either by the way, though I really liked that film's lead actor, Josse De Pauw). The supporting roles fare generally better, especially Dirk Roofthooft in a small but pivotal role, and actresses like Els Dottermans or Hilde De Baerdemaker (though their roles don't add up to much). But for a better actors' film, watch Tom Barman's ANY WAY THE WIND BLOWS (though actors and style is all that one's got).
Now, you might have guessed that I'm not a big fan of Belgian films, unlike most of the people I know, but I really wouldn't bother watching this film if you're not Belgian yourself. You could just as easily watch mediocre Hollywood fare like KISS THE GIRLS, BLOOD WORK, or another SE7EN/SILENCE OF THE LAMBS rip-off. De Zaak Alzheimer (The Alzheimer Case) is watchable enough, and at times rather funny, but I think mostly to Belgian audiences. The rivalry between the different Belgian police units, or the scandals in which almost every Belgian politician, advocate, prosecutor, or whatever is embroiled are quite amusing, but this film has really not that much more to offer. My rating would be a mere 5,5/10.
P.S.: for a good Belgian film, see if you can find ALLES MOET WEG (Everything Must Go), MANNEKEN PIS, ROSIE or (more or less)DAENS. See that I don't dislike em all? -)