SYNOPSICS
De surprise (2015) is a Dutch,English,Hindi,French,German movie. Mike van Diem has directed this movie. Jeroen van Koningsbrugge,Georgina Verbaan,Jan Decleir,Henry Goodman are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2015. De surprise (2015) is considered one of the best Comedy,Romance movie in India and around the world.
An eccentric multimillionaire signs an agreement to have his life ended. While selecting his coffin he meets a young woman who has signed up for the same arrangement. Trouble ensues when the couple fall in love and wish to get out of the contract.
De surprise (2015) Trailers
De surprise (2015) Reviews
Idiosyncratic, dark, Wes-ish return to form by Van Diem
"De Surprise" marks the long-awaited return of Mike van Diem (of 1997 "Karakter" acclaim). I had no idea what to expect, but wasn't disappointed: it's a clever, self-written, self-produced dark comedy, that surprises with its off-kilter locations, developments and characters. Starting with a funeral and quickly progressing to boy-meets-girl, the setup is of the well-traveled romcom variety, but the story heads for loftier territories after this and keeps us engaged throughout. Van Koningsbrugge and Verbaan acquit themselves well in parts that require a more understated, highbrow approach than their usual brand of comedy, and - essential for this genre - I rooted for them all the way through. What kind of bugs me, though: the main characters in "De Surprise" exhibit a Wes Anderson-ish formal approach to emotions, which, combined with a distinct Wes Anderson-ish quirky world view, setting and storyline, almost made me feel like I was watching a WA-movie, only one without Wes' exceptional talents for art direction and editing. This is not to say "De Surprise" lacks originality: but the day after, it did impress me more as a tight exercise in style than a profound exercise in storytelling - quite unlike the superior "Karakter". It does re-establish Van Diem as an independent, original filmmaker, and here's hoping he'll stick to cinema the upcoming decade.
Another beautiful movie from Mike van Diem
Director Mike van Diem is back with his new movie after 18 years. A mother expecting her death, an emotionless son, the movie begins like this. After the death of his mother, the hero tries several methods to commit suicide, but all in vain. In search of death, he encounters some Indian people who are running a business to help to commit suicide. As usual, he meets the heroine there, who is also looking for the same. Her company brings radical changes in his emotions, he laughs, become angry and as expected hope of life grows in him. Now he needs to get rid of the killers or at-least a delay. The plot is similar to Malayalam movie "Kaakkakkum Poochakkum Kallyaanam". The amazing treatment along with the smaller and bigger "Surprises" makes this movie unique and a different experience. There are some unique similarities with the director's previous movie "Karakter". The absence of love or in this case, he has a glass barrier between him and the real world. The hero grows up without the presence of his father is also a common factor. Beautiful visuals, production design, actors are the great highlights of the movie.
a master at work: entertaining, exciting and thought-provoking
I had a great time with De Surprise, in which the protagonist seeks death and finds love after an increasingly exciting series of events and plot twists. Director and part-writer Mike van Diem experienced the best training after winning an Oscar: he made a fortune directing TV commercials, where scene setting, messaging and storytelling have to have impact within seconds. This does not mean De Surprise is a roller coaster of cheap effects. On the contrary, it builds up masterfully from an intimate start to a romance to an action movie, to a thriller with superior plot twists. Everything fits in this film. The lead actors are at their best (watch Georgina Verbaan's split-second transformation from shy spinster into ruthless Hindi-speaking killer). Great supporting roles from top actors Jan Decleir and Dutchman Pierre Bokma. Beautiful settings in Brussels, the Belgian and Irish countryside, impeccably put to use for scene development. Great cars, from the Aston Martin to the Facel Vega. This is not your average forgettable foreign comedy. This is a masterpiece.
Wonderful dark comedy
My expectations were low because of the trailer, but this dark comedy was both less dark and less predictable than I expected, and honestly one of the best foreign language films I've seen in a long time. The direction is tight and just about perfect. You can see the influence of both Wes Anderson and Francis Veber in it, especially in the atmosphere, but unlike WA it isn't so over the top as to take you out of the movie, and the comedy is less broad than in a FV film. Jeroen van Koningsbrugge is completely believable in the title role, and while Georgina Verbaan's role is less complex she does have the difficult task of being a compelling romantic target for a without falling into a classic trope, and I would say she got it spot-on. The other actors are fine in roles that however are fairly one-dimensional Visually the movie is stunning, and it has some great cars; don't watch it on a small screen if you can avoid it. An American remake would probably make it all about the car chases, which here are just the right length. I wish Mike van Diem had more film credits, but apparently Hollywood sucked his soul and he spent 15 years recovering. The Surprise was a hell of a comeback.
You should give this a chance
In the hands of a typical Hollywood studios this would be a watered down formula movie, but I found the drama to stand out the most. It's a mistake to simply call this a romantic comedy. It is first and foremost a drama starting out as an examination of people in pain. And slowly embracing the quirky yet twisted predicament that ensues.