Review of Dutch Girls (1985) by Heather M — 07 May 2012

While there are some genuinely funny moments most of the time you're laughing at the movie instead of with it. The script and plot are full of cliche and overwrought dialogue and half-baked symbolism.

The whole teen rebellion and angst and coming of age thing has been done to death, even in 1985 when this movie was made. Most of the actors do a decent job with what they're given though, Colin Firth being perpetuously uncomfortable and Timothy Spall being his usual smarmy and disgusting.

Some of the acting is overblown though, like the field hockey coach who's wound way too tight and the boarding school headmaster that's such a parody that he seems like a copy of a Graham Chapman Monty Python character.

The main problem is that there's no subtlety. Everything is on the nose and this kills whatever depth and meaning the filmmakers were attempting.