Gezocht: Man

Patrice Toye, who earlier made an impression with Rosie, een duivel in m’n kop, made Wanted: Man basically as a film for Dutch television. Also in this film, she allows young people to take a fresh look at the adult world. Bas, a sensitive, nine-year-old boy (nearly ten!) and his mother Rosalie have a tight bond. She works in a call centre for insurance and he is an outsider at school. In the weekend, Rosalie goes to the local bar with her girlfriend/colleague. One thing is lacking from their life: a father for Bas and a lover for Rosalie. Bas would like to see his mother Rosalie happier, and decides to go and find a man for her. He hangs notes in the supermarket and has test dates with men under the bridge. When Rosalie finds out what Bas is up to, she interprets it as a sign of his sorrow. She starts – equally secretively – to look for a father for her son. Then her boss starts making advances. Wanted: Man is a modest tragicomedy in which above all Monic Hendrickx plays a wonderful role as a slightly slovenly, sympathetic single mother. Also watch out for the beautifully nasty supporting role of Kitty Courbois (who seems to get better and better as she gets older) as Rosalie’s mother. The bond between mother and son is beautifully and sensitively portrayed by the slow motion Super8 shots of happy moments.