With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
DVD Review: Moscow, Belgium
By Edward Yerke-Robins
Working mother Matty faces each day with a bleary-eyed scowl and grievance list a mile long. Her children? Completely withdrawn, when they can be bothered to come home. Her housework? Piling higher and higher with no end or help in sight. Her post office job? Literally walling her off from the outside world. Her only friend? A repeat customer who chats her up between shipments of funeral invitations. Her husband Werner? Living across town with an art student young enough to be his daughter. To top it off, her car is rear-ended by a long-haul truck in the grocery parking lot. The truck's driver, Johnny, escapes with a serious tongue-lashing, only to show up at her apartment to repair vehicles and relations. Has Matty finally found a bright spot in her life, or is this budding romance just another trial to join her list?
Moscow, Belgium is no Cinderella fairytale. The Belgian film is a sweet tale of everyday people struggling to define love and happiness amidst the daily grind. Lead actors Barbara Sarafian (Matty) and Jurgen Delnaet (Johnny), virtual unknowns outside of Belgium (and, given such short IMDb listings, possibly even inside), resonate charm. It's refreshing to see characters who look, act and feel like real people, particularly in a romantic comedy. There's none of the disaffection of a Hollywood star vehicle, where an overreliance on glitzy personalities removes the heart and soul of the story.
Moscow, Belgium also contains a surprising edge to Johnny's backstory. His truck isn't the only thing tarnished when he meets Matty, and he struggles for self-worth after a couple prison terms. When the full nature of these incidents are revealed, it throws the story into a turmoil much deeper than generic cliches of missed flights or runaway brides. To its credit, Moscow, Belgium, isn't a dark film, and the integration of these incidents into the story is very matter-of-fact. Johnny's struggle for redemption further fleshes out his character, and adds dimension to Matty's romantic dilemma. It's a testament to the film's finesse that it can address serious topics like alcoholism and class conflict without killing the fun.
Support for LAist comes from
In the real world, romance is both magical and ordinary. It's exciting and spontaneous, yet must be worked into packed schedules and pre-existing relationships. It's expressed in gifts of Italian shoes and blood-sausage stew. Moscow, Belgium embodies this duality as few films can. It's a hidden gem that details both the diamond and the rough.
Moscow, Belgium is available on DVD through NeoClassics Films Home Entertainment. The disc includes a featurette with Barbara Sarafian and director Christophe Van Rompaey on the film's positive reception and surprise awards at Cannes '08. Their personalities are as humble, down-to-earth and folksy as their characters. The disc also features an audio-commentary with Rompaey and writer/producer Jean-Claude Van Rijckeghem. For further coverage, please read LAist's review from the 2008 festival circuit.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist