A Complete Review of Paul Verhoeven's work

Cast : Virginie Efira, Charlotte Rampling, Lambert Wilson, Clotilde Courau

What was it about?
A 17th-century nun in Italy suffers from disturbing religious and erotic visions. She is assisted by a companion, and the relationship between the two women develops into a romantic love affair.

My two cents:
Eventually, the Dutch master didn’t disappoint, at least, not me as it turned out to be a massive Verhoeven festival. Indeed, he went pretty much all the way with some over-the-top hallucinations, violence, blood, full frontal nudity and some good old sex. Seriously, even if probably not everything did work, the whole thing was still really intense. Eventually, he gave us all the various ways anyone at the time might approach religion (as a real vocation, as a capitalist enterprise, as a powerful political weapon, as a simple way to get fed or a way to escape a toxic household). What I enjoyed the most was how ambiguous Benedetta was until the very end. Indeed, was she some kind of con artist? A complete lunatic? Another sexually frustrated nun? An actual prophet who could communicate with God, somehow? Or maybe it was a combination of all this all together. Well, you won’t get any easy answer which was the movie’s biggest strength but also its weakness. Indeed, at the end, all the other characters’s thoughts, feelings and motivations were pretty clear but Benedetta remained an impenetrable wall which was slightly frustrating and, yet, it made her rather fascinating. I also think that the whole lesbian relationship was not very well linked with her religious ‘awakening’. The best thing that I can think of was that, by being touched by Bartolomea’s love, she was then more able to get in touch with God? Or maybe, after all these years of sexual abstinence, it pretty much blew up her fragile mind? Anyway, even if it wasn’t flawless, Verhoeven delivered here another intense roller coaster.

My rating: 07/10

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It was actually directed by Jeffrey McHale.

Well, it was definitely a decent attempt to rehabilitate one of the most vilified movies ever produced but, to be honest, it wasn’t really much more than that. First of all, they didn’t only focus on ‘Showgirls’, they actually gave a whole retrospective on Paul Verhoeven’s work. I mean, it didn’t really bother me since I’m a big fan of the Dutch master and I have seen all his movies but I thought this approach was too broad regarding the actual main subject. Sure, Verhoeven’s career was and still is actually quite fascinating, much more than this massive turkey. However, to show all his other (much better) movies and to argue that such a movie master couldn’t possibly deliver a completely worthless piece of sh... was not really a strong approach. On top of that, in less than 80 mins, you get a whole bunch of other theories (some interesting, some others seriously far-fetched), feelings, views, usually vastly contradicting each other and, eventually, the end-result did feel pretty random. Anyway, even if this documentary didn’t change my views on this rather lame erotic cult-classic, it is still worth a look, especially if you're interested in Verhoeven’s work.

Cast : Isabelle Huppert, Charles Berling, Virginie Effira

What was it about?
Michèle seems indestructible. Head of a successful video game company, she brings the same ruthless attitude to her love life as to business. Being attacked in her home by an unknown assailant changes Michèle's life forever.

My two cents:
Obviously, the critics won't miss the fact that that it was rather misognist as the women seem to almost enjoy to be brutalised to the point that they might even fall in love with the perpetrator but Verhoeven has never been a subtle director in this area. Eventually, what won me over was this fascinating main character, perfectly played by Isabelle Huppert who is still one of the best French actresses. Indeed, during the whole thing, you are never sure if you should despise this manipulative ice queen bitch or admire this attractive incredibly sharp woman. I also loved the fact that the whole thing was never about finding how did the deed and it keeps going on in some unexpected very dark corners after you found out who it was. The only major problem I had is that they were probably too many characters with their own agenda and, as a result , they kept adding layers upon layers of various conflicts and intrigues and it was just too much too handle for this movie . Still, even though it wasn’t flawless, I thought it was really captivating.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Peter Blok

What was it about?
During his 50th birthday party thrown by his wife, Remco's life takes a turn for the worse: His business partners are scheming behind his back to sell him out, and his former mistress shows up pregnant.

My two cents:
Back then, even though Verhoeven made a triumphant come-back in the Netherlands with ‘Zwartboek’, it seems that he struggled afterwards to get another project started in the Netherlands. As a result, he got involved in some kind of experimental project during which the audience was somehow involved in the writing of the script. Even though they provided a making-off before the movie itself and even though I read some stuff about this project on the internet, it is still rather obscure how it was supposed to work. Coming back on the making-off, even if it was neat to see Verhoeven at work, it didn’t have much value though. Indeed, you get to see the Dutch master claiming that it was a great creative experience and, even though he did admit that it turned out to be more challenging than it expected, he never went further than this. On top of that, I have read here and there that he more or less completely changed the whole concept along the way because it didn’t work at all and, even so, I really doubt he was satisfied by the end-result. Concerning the movie itself, even though Verhoeven praised his crew and the actors during the making-off, I thought it was not much better than a really cheap Dutch made-for-TV movie. Indeed, it was visually nothing really thrilling or fancy and the acting was rather weak as well. In fact, the script was the only thing that did have some potential but, still, I didn’t care much about the choices made either by the audience or by Paul Verhoeven. Anyway, it is the proof that writing a movie is a really difficult task and we should probably let the professionals taking care of this in the future.

My rating: 05/10

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Cast : Carice van Houten, Sebastian Koch, Halina Reijn, Derek de Lint, Peter Blok, Michiel Huisman, Frank Lammers, Johnny de Mol

What was it about?
In the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II, a Jewish singer infiltrates the regional Gestapo headquarters for the Dutch resistance.

My two cents:
Back then, before this movie was released, there was a huge buzz in the Netherlands. Indeed, not only Paul Verhoeven was finally releasing a new director effort after 6 long years but he was also back in his homeland more than 20 years after ‘De vierde man’, his last Dutch feature. Anyway, for Verhoeven, it was a successful comeback and, in the Netherlands, it was indeed a huge success but I noticed that Dutch people tend to give this movie slightly too much credit. Still, I have to admit that it was a really solid classic WWII resistance tale. For Carice van Houten, it was a huge breakthrough and even though her international career never rally took off, she is still the most famous Dutch actress at work nowadays and she gave here a really strong performance. However, in spite of its rather strong material, the story didn’t always work. For example, the way the main character finally ended up with a resistance group was just rather convoluted and poorly put together. For example, why wasn’t Rachel hiding with her family? Did they get separated? Then, they take the time to introduce a cute sailor but since the guy was killed within 10 mins, you wonder why they didn’t just skip it right away. And, yet, it was still a strong story and Van Houten was just quite fascinating to behold.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Elisabeth Shue, Kevin Bacon, Josh Brolin, Greg Grunberg, Rhona Mitra

What was it about?
Scientists discover how to make people invisible, but their test subject becomes an insane killer who stalks them.

My two cents:
For Paul Verhoeven, it was his 3rd critical flop in a row and it was basically the end of his career in the US. Honestly, even though it seems to be considered as one of his weakest movies, I don't think it is really so bad actually. Indeed, it is basically a very dark version of this famous story with some awesome special effects, even for today's standards. As usual with this director, the whole thing was pretty violent and (very) sleazy, and at some moments, it almost felt like some pretty neat introduction to some super villain. Unfortunately, I must admit it, the dialogues were terribly cheesy and, even though the cast was decent, the acting was rather weak. Above all, the story was just really disappointing, especially during the ending which seemed to come out from some very average slasher flick. Honestly, while watching the damned thing, I couldn't help thinking that Verhoeven didn't care much about this project and didn't really try to exploit the very interesting ideas displayed in this story. And, indeed, later on during his career, Verhoeven did admit that got involved in this project because it was the only film he could get off the ground at the time.

My rating: 05/10

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Cast : Casper Van Dien , Dina Meyer, Denise Richards, Jake Busey, Neil Patrick Harris, Clancy Brown, Michael Ironside

What was it about?
Humans in a fascistic, militaristic future do battle with giant alien bugs in a fight for survival.

My two cents:
Some people love it, some people hate it. I love it. This was one of the last movies directed by Paul Verhoeven before getting kick out of Hollywood. Unfortunately, it wasn't a success and it didn't help recoverning the damages caused by 'Showgirls'. To be honest, I think it is a shame and, in my opinion, it is definitely the most underrated movie directed by Paul Verhoeven and, in fact, it is probably one of the most underrated movies even made. Indeed, in my opinion, it is actually really entertaining with some good action scenes and some nice special effects. On one hand, on the outside, it is basically a big SF show but, on the other hand, it is also a big satire about how war is actually completely stupid and meaningless. Finally, as usual in a Verhoeven movie, you had this sexual tension between the characters which gives you the feeling that, at any moment, they're going to rip their clothes off and start humping each other. Personally, I think it is a great mix and it's too bad this movie is completey misunderstood and underappreciated.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon

What was it about?
A young drifter, named Nomi, arrives in Las Vegas to become a dancer and soon sets about clawing and pushing her way to become the top of the Vegas showgirls.

My two cents:
Basically, it is a rather lame and boring erotic B feature, no more and no less than that. Indeed, the first issue I had was that, beside the fact that the story was terribly derivative, they never really settled for a specific tone and it was never really glamourous or really gritty or really sleazy. Of course, Paul Verhoeven argued that it was supposed to be some kind of satire but, even from this angle, it was never convincing whatsoever. Then, another major issue was the main character who was just really lame. Sure, I have to admit that Elizabeth Berkley, who was only in early 20's back then, looked really hot but her character was actually more cringe-inducing than really entertaining. Eventually, years later, Verhoeven would take the blame and said that he pushed Berkley to deliver such a ‘performance’ but I still think she never managed to make her character intriguing or entertaining whatsoever. To make things worse, all the other characters involved were not much better at all. For some reason, there was also a completely random rape scene towards the end which had really nothing to do with the rest of the movie. Anyway, for Berkley, her career was pretty much ruined from the start but, to be honest, if she had been really talented, she would have made a come-back at some point. For Verhoeven, this movie would be the beginning of the end and, nowadays, he left the US and he was back making movies in the Netherlands (where he managed to make only one movie after all).

My rating: 04/10

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Cast : Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, Jeanne Tripplehorn

What was it about?
A police detective is in charge of the investigation of a brutal murder, in which a beautiful and seductive woman could be involved.

My two cents:
Well, this movie was unfortunately Paul Verhoeven’s last success in the US and everything he made afterwards in America didn’t really work. And, of course, this feature also turned Sharon Stone into a major star but it’s such a pity that almost everything she did afterwards was eventually really underwhelming, ‘Casino’ being one of the very few exceptions. Coming back to our main feature, well, even though this movie has a rather solid reputation, to be honest, I always had some rather mixed feelings about the damned thing. Sure, I have to admit it, the first half was actually quite awesome. Indeed, it was basically some kind of really steamy Hitchcockian thriller and it was quite spellbinding to watch. On top of that, the story was really entertaining and Micheal Douglas and Sharon Stone had some great chemistry together. Unfortunately, the second half didn’t work really well in my opinion, and, as far as I was concerned, it was just a succession of non-sensical and more or less shocking scenes. Anyway, even if I think it is slightly overrated, I have to admit that it is a very well made and entertaining erotic thriller.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside

What was it about?
When a man goes for virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real, or does he?

My two cents:
As a kid, I really loved this flick and it was quite a blast to rewatch it after all these years with Nick, my step-son. I remember it very well, back then, I thought it was a fascinating story and I had to watch it a couple of times before understanding it properly (give me a break... I was 10-12 years old!). The best thing about this movie is that it works on so many levels. It is entertaining, it takes place on Mars, there are tons of nice special effects, some sexual tension and a rather thoughtful and intriguing plot. By now, I have watched all the movies directed by Paul Verhoeven and, in my opinion, it is by far his best movie. I just love the story, the actions scenes and the competent special effects. I have seen also most of Schwarzenegger's work and it is my favorite movie he has done. At some point, I did see the remake starring Colin Farrell and even though Farrell is a better actor, Schwarzenegger was actually more convincing. It worked better also because Paul Verhoeven didn't spend all his time with some action scenes but also gave us some time to get know Doug Quaid and root for the guy. Anyway, I really loved the damne thing.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Peter Weller , Nancy Allen, Kurtwood Smith

What was it about?
In a dystopic & crime ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg with submerged memories haunting him.

My two cents:
Pretty much like with 'Total Recall', when I was a kid, I watched this flick and I just loved it. 20 years later, I had the pleasure to watch it again with my step-son Nick. For Paul Verhoeven, the great Dutch master, it was his ticket to Hollywood and it was a downright success. You see on a regular basis promising European directors hired by Hollywood but most of those features are just disappointing. Not this one though. Indeed, even though it is a studio feature, Verhoeven managed to keep his twisted violent vision and gave us a relentless action flick. The last time I watched it, it was the unrated version and not only my step-son was watching but also my wife and she was rather shocked about how violent the whole thing was. Indeed, nowadays, the violence in action movies is terribly toned down so when you watch a good old action flick from the 80's, you have to adjust a little bit because the blood is coming out in liters, the heads are exploding and the limbs are flying in the air, all in close-up. Furthermore, there is a lot of pitch black humor and the combination with the violence was pretty unique, awesome and really true to Verhoeven's style. I have to admit that even though Robocop looked pretty cool, when he walks, he did look pretty cheesy and the special effects in general were pretty cheesy as well. Still, it is a well made SF flick, no doubt about it.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh

What was it about?
A band of medieval mercenaries take revenge on a noble lord who decides not to pay them by kidnapping the betrothed of the noble's son. As the plague and warfare cut a swathe of destruction throughout the land, the mercenaries hole up in a castle and await their fate.

My two cents:
For Paul Verhoeven, this movie was definitely a milestone since it was the first movie he made outside the Netherlands and it was just before he went to Hollywood directing such movies like 'Robocop', 'Total Recall' or 'Basic Instinct'. Basically, it was quite an ambitious international production and you had the usual Verhoeven trademarks : Sex, Violence and good old Rutger Hauer. This time, the setting was the Medieval age and I thought it was a great idea to mix this time period with the style of this particular director. Sure, I have to admit it, the story was actually pretty thin and the whole thing was actually nothing great whatsoever but I thought it was still fairly entertaining. In my opinion, the biggest issue was that all the characters were barely developed, even if Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh managed to make the most of this material. Apparently, Paul Verhoeven and Rutger Hauer were constantly arguing while making this movie and, as a result, they would never make another movie together which is quite a shame since they had made some terrific features together. Anyway, in spite of its flaws, it was still a solid medieval flick.

My rating: 07/10

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Original Title : 'De vierde man'

Cast : Jeroen Krabbé, Renée Soutendijk

What was it about?
A man who has been having visions of an impending danger begins an affair with a woman who may lead him to his doom.

My two cents:
Even though this movie seems to be rather forgotten nowadays, especially outside the Netherlands, I really liked it a lot and I should definitely re-watch it at some point. Basically, this movie was the last one directed by Paul Verhoeven before he left the Netherlands and it is my favorite one from this period just behind 'Turks Fruit'. Above all, I thought that the story was just fascinating and, in my opinion, I believe it was in fact a better version of 'Basic Instinct'. Indeed, to be honest, I always had some mixed feelings about 'Basic Instinct' because, even though the set-up was great, the plot was after all really far-fetched and rather half-baked. Here, Verhoeven gave us another erotic thriller about a man falling in love with a seemingly dangerous woman but the end-result was this time much more rewarding, at least, that’s my opinion. Instead of Rutger Hauer, the lead was played this time by Jeroen Krabbbé and he gave a really solid performance. Above all, Paul Verhoeven was just at the top of his game at the time and delivered a steamy dark and spellbinding thriller.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Renée Soutendijk, Jeroen Krabbé, Rutger Hauer

What was it about?
It follows the lives of three young men who are amateur dirt-bike motorcycle racers. They each fall in love with a young woman who, with her brother, sells French fries and hot dogs at the races. Everyone is looking for a better life. She wants out of the business and away from her brother. The motocross racers want to make their marks as professional racers, like their hero, played by Rutger Hauer.

My two cents:
I have noticed that this movie, like most of the old Dutch movies directed by Paul Verhoeven, is really rarely broadcast on the Dutch channels which is quite a shame since his work belong to the very best work coming from the Dutch film industry. Anyway, when it came out, this film was heavily criticized in the Netherlands and this criticism was one of the contributing factors in Paul Verhoeven's decision to make his films in America rather than his native land. However, 30 years later, this movie is now considered a classic in the Netherlands. Personally, I thought it was pretty good but, to be honest, I can’t say I was completely convinced by the damned thing. I mean, the characters were interesting and the actors involved gave some decent performances but I had a rather hard time to get where Paul Verhoeven was getting at with the damned thing. It seemed that he was trying to deliver something rather depraved and decadent just to get a shocked reaction from the audience. Anyway, it must be the most trashy movie ever directed by the Sleaze master but I thought it was still pretty good though.

My rating: 07/10

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Original Title : 'Soldaat van Oranje'

Cast : Rutger Hauer, Jeroen Krabbé

What was it about?
This film depicts World War II through the eyes of several Dutch students. It follows them through the beginning of the war, the Nazi occupation and the liberation.

My two cents:
In fact, in the Netherlands, it is a huge classic and it is broadcasted on TV at least twice or three times a year. I mean, most of Paul Verhoeven's movies are more or less controversial but this one is usually considered a Dutch national treasure. It was, at the time, the most expensive Dutch movie ever made and it is indeed a very well made WWII feature with a gripping story, some decent directing and some very good actors. At some point, such actors like Alec Guinness, David Niven, Julie Christie, Henry Fonda or Charlotte Rampling were attached but, probably for some budgetary reasons, they didn't show up after all. Instead, Paul Verhoeven was yet again working with Rutger Hauer (he wasn't in fact his first choice but Hauer gave apparently a great audition) and it is a real shame that they didn't get along while making 'Flesh & Blood' in 1985 as they would never make another movie together. To be honest, the whole thing tends to be a little too patriotic and self-centered for my taste but it still a solid flick.

My rating: 08/10

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Original Title : 'Keetje Tippel'

Cast : Monique van de Ven, Rutger Hauer

What was it about?
The young girl Keetje moves to Amsterdam in 1881 with her impoverished family, and is led into prostitution in order to survive. In the process she sees the corrupting influence of money.

My two cents:
Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of this one but it was pretty neat to see Paul Verhoeven directing a costume drama for a change (at least, you have to admit he is rather versatile). It was Verhoeven follow-up feature after his breaktrough masterpiece 'Turks fruit' and he worked again with the same actors, Rutger Hauer and Monique van de Ven. Honestly, I thought it was pretty obivous that Paul Verhoeven was not really comfortable with the material. Furthermore, he experienced huge pressure to come up with a worthy follow-up for his critically and commercially successful 'Turks fruit' and he clashed repeatedly with producer Rob Houwer over the screenplay and didn't get the budget to make the film on the epic scale he had intended. He has even been quoted as saying that if he could ever redo one of his movies, it would be this one. So, as usual with Verhoeven, the whole thing is pretty sleazy but I still think it is a well made drama.

My rating: 07/10

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Original Title : 'Turks Fruit'

Cast : Monique van de Ven, Rutger Hauer

What was it about?
This movie stars Rutger Hauer as a gifted Dutch sculptor who has a stormy, erotic, and star-crossed romance with a beautiful young girl. The story follows the arc of their relationship and his interaction with her family.

My two cents:
If you are ever interested in Dutch movies, you must see this flick. Indeed, it is the masterpiece that influenced every single Dutch movies that came afterwards. I mean, in spite of its highly sexual content, it was in 1973 the most successful Dutch film ever made and, 40 years later, it's still the most attended Dutch film in the Netherlands! So, it is huge, the best movie ever made by Paul Verhoeven and I really loved it. Indeed, in my opinion, it is one of the best love stories I have ever seen. There is a one of a kind chemistry between Rutger Hauer and Monique van de Ven and they both gave some tremendous performances. Even though I'm usually not fond of randomness, I thought it was amazing how some small little events would happen on almost every single scene. It keeps the whole thing so pure, fresh and much more spellbinding than any romantic feature you will see coming from Hollywood. The lovers basically do everything together, they make love like beasts, they fight, they laugh, they throw stuff at each other, they even have a car crash together on their first meeting, even when they are separated, they are still crazy about each other and, for the viewers, they are completely spellbinding to watch. Some people in the Netherlands argue that this movie is now old and has lost its edge but I completely disagree. 40 years later, it is still a massive piece of work and Dutch cinema is still waiting for something that good to come along again.

My rating: 09/10

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Original Title : 'Wat zien ik'

What was it about?
Blonde Greet is an experienced, but kind hearted, prostitute in the Red Light District of Amsterdam. Her friend and also whore Nel lives on the second floor of her house, and is abused by her pimp. When Greet meets the married Piet, they feel a great attraction for each other, and Nel decides to find a boyfriend and become a straight woman.

My two cents:
I have been following the Dutch master for many years and since I always had a weak spot for his work, I was quite eager to check his directorial debut. Well, to honest, even though it was not bad, I thought this movie was actually fairly disappointing. In fact, Verhoeven himself was not really excited about this project and he wanted to make instead an adaptation of a major Dutch literary work but it was his longtime partner Gerard Soeteman, the writer on his movie, who convinced him to first direct this one which was slightly less ambitious. Eventually, since this movie was a success, they were able to make together ‘Turks Fruit’, a massive box-office hit in the Netherlands and arguably the best Dutch movie ever produced. Anyway, coming back to our main feature, I mean, it was still a decent watch but I didn't care much about the story or the characters involved.

My rating: 06/10

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