Director: Geoffrey Enthoven
Stars: Gilles de Schrijver, Tom Audenaert, Robrecht Vanden Thoren, Isabelle de Hertogh
Three disabled young men go on a road trip in the hope of losing their virginity.
It’s a simple summary of a film that’s actually intelligent, mature, and hilarious. I loved the dynamics between the characters. Lars (de Schrijver) has a tumour and has the worst condition of all, because death is a specter hanging over him. Jozef (Audenaert) is a gentle blind giant and Philip (Thoren) is mostly paralyzed, but is ready with his sharp tongue. They are accompanied on their trip by Claude (de Hertogh), a nurse, who appears aloof at first but quickly becomes memorable.
The genius of this film is that one moment you’ll be howling with laughter, and yet even the most joyous moments are tinged with a bitterness. But I liked how these characters tried to make the best of their lot in life and it was so fulfilling to see them go on the trip and actually break out of their limitations for a while. The performances were strong all around and really got to the heart of the characters.
The scenery was beautiful too, going through France and then Spain. I was half-expecting a twist at the end but I’m glad there wasn’t one. It felt satisfying and fulfilling. I think it’s quite a unique film but anyone should enjoy this if they like road trip movies. It spans the range of human emotion and I really, really liked it. More people should be watching this movie.
