Whom to Trust?

Rating: 7/10 (21 April 2007)

Whom to trust? That seems to be director Paul Verhoven's question throughout this film. The answer is one you learned back in grade school, but I won't elaborate here so as not to spoil the film for you.
The film clocks in at almost 2 1/2 hours, but is hardly noticeable as it proceeds at breakneck speed. The story is fascinating, intricate, and the characters realistic and well played. The only significant flaw is the score, which sounds like something Bernard Hermann would have written for Alfred Hitchcock or Brian DePalma ("Obsession" comes to mind). Perhaps that was the intention, as the film does bear some resemblance to Hitchcock's "The Thirty-nine Steps." If so, it just did not work for me because the pace of the images on the screen did not match the pace of the music, the former being clipped and the latter meandering.
The acting was simply excellent. I couldn't get over Carice van Houten's resemblance to Debbie Reynolds. At times she would turn her head a certain way and, wow! Astonishing! Good work by hair and makeup!
It was also kind of fun (sounds odd, I know) to watch a new World War II spy film. I think it would have worked as a film during the 40s, too, removing the "R" scenes and shooting it in black-and-white.
Anyway, I give the film a 7.75 rating. It makes for a nice afternoon at the movies. Enjoy!