Zwarte zwanen

A boy and a girl meet on the beach in Southern Spain. A pretty girl. A handsome boy. And yes, they fall for each other. But the film does not for a moment give the idea that this is a nice uncomplicated holiday love affair. Even a nice little fling is not in the cards right from the start. This is nothing less than an amour fou, and that even may be putting it mildly. Here amour fou is not just a metaphor for a fierce and passionate love; real insanity is at work from the start. Complete surrender is an understatement: the girl in particular throws herself into a death-defying adventure that just has to be fatal. Black Swans is a film with two predominant protagonists and a very dramatic story. A film like this places great demands on its actors. Even more: its actors make or break it. This film stands proud, largely thanks to Carice van Houten as the confused crazy Marleen and Dragan Bakema as the sensual Vince. A film that is also above all a début film, with the dauntlessness that is characteristic of the better début film. The title of the film refers to an old Dutch nursery rhyme. The cryptic song about swans that sail across the sea and a broken key. Within the context of the film, it is an ominous nursery rhyme. About dying swans, really. (GjZ)