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Spelen Of Sterven (Dutch) [To Play Or To Die]

This is a short 50 minute dutch film. The movie was weird and I cant decide how to rate it. I hope by the time I finish writing this review, I would have made up my mind.

Kees is a bright, handsome kid, crippled by shyness, whose life is devastated by a group of school bullies. He lives in a huge mansion with his parents. Kees is attracted to the ringleader Charel, a beautiful athletic classmate who probably feels an undetermined interest but would never risk admitting (possibly not even to himself) having any gay or bi appreciation. Kees invites Charel back to his home when his parents are away, ostensibly to take revenge and seduce the older boy, but Charel's inability to drop the pretense and succumb to Kees' infatuation leads to a painful conclusion for them both. Kees goes completely berserk and self-destructs. I think that the reason for this is a combination of loneliness, self-hatred and frustration.

Kees longs for, but cannot attain the object of his desire. Charel is equally unable to deal with the feelings he suspects Kees has for him; he responds not with compassion and understanding, but with rejection and defiance.The boys were good in acting. This would have been better with an even shorter version as a 20 minute odd film. The commendable thing is that the film dares to be different and shows a different dark side of being gay.

Didn't do much for me but it was different. (3/10)

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