(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon.)

This is an incredibly seductive movie with a strong sense of the spirit of Demeter and Dionysus throughout. There's no Hollywood glamour here. Instead we have an unabashed celebration of life ("This is the only dance we dance") in which love, community and simple hard work prevail. The simple are seen as the equal of the gifted, and everybody (except for rapists and hypocrites) are appreciated for their strengths and forgiven their faults. Intellectualism is seen as quaint and unsocial (as in the person of Crooked Finger) possibly leading to a morbid cynicism. And brain power (as in the person of the prodigy Therese) is just another talent, like being able to laugh or to bale hay or to have lots of children.

This is the Dionysian view of life that doesn't allow for Apollo, and there's a lot to be said for it. But I couldn't help but reflect that during the time span depicted in this movie--five generations in Holland during the twentieth century--Europe experienced some of the most horrific events known to humankind, two world wars, genocide, concentration camps, poison gas, fire bombings, political repression, and the death of millions of people. But perhaps that is director Marleen Gorris's point, to see life at its most elemental, locally and without the horror of war and the delusions of generals and politicians.

What's not to like about that? Well, not to rain on anyone's love-fest, but we have vigilante justice here and a murder, seemingly justified and certainly agreeable to the audience since the victim was a brutal rapist. Men are not exactly banished, but they are put in their place, serving or (literally) servicing women. What is banished is orthodox religiosity in the form of a hypocritical cleric who (with his disciples, we are told) goes to town and becomes a social worker (!).

This is also an ode to feminism and a deliberate tear-jerker that manipulates the emotions of the audience. Yet, somehow Gorris, who also wrote the script, manages not to offend my sensitivities. I think it is because the movie amounts to a very effective sermon against prejudice of any kind, and because of the gentle humanity of her tale.

You'll forgive me, however, if I say that my favorite part was the handstand! It was just perfect.

The 1995 winner of Best Foreign Language Film tells the story of a woman, her daughter and granddaughter over several years in the Netherlands. The women do everything to show their strength. One of the best parts is what happens after a hypocrite makes fun of the granddaughter; I would hate to be in his place!

Overall, "Antonia" (called "Antonia's Line" in English) is definitely one that I recommend. This and "The Assault" are Holland's two supreme masterpieces. In other words, ik reken erop (Dutch for "I count on it") because it is truly iets zoets (Dutch for "something sweet"). A veritable part of De Geschiedenis Des Nederlandsen Films (history of Dutch cinema).

I felt VERY frustrated by this movie. It had so many WONDERFUL elements but the overall package was hopelessly baffling because it appeared as if the writers had no idea WHAT type of film they wanted to make. At first, the movie seemed quirky and comical when one of the characters imagined seeing grandma getting up out of the coffin during her own funeral while the statue of Jesus comes to life. I was excited, because I like surreal movies like Happiness of Katakuris or Raising Arizona. BUT, just as quickly as these images came, the movie completely changed direction. This sort of thing happened again and again in the movie--as if the film had eight different writers who combined their stories without creating decent segues to join the stories. Comedy, philosophy (not the fun type--the "life is futile and then you die" type),sex, love, lesbianism, anti-church rhetoric, ultra-feminism, child prodigy stuff, sexual abuse, murder, etc., etc. all thrown together do not make ONE coherent film but either many separate movies or one big mess. How this film got the Oscar for Best Foreign Picture, I am uncertain, as it had too many holes and left me so unsatisfied. Perhaps it was a slow year. Or, perhaps AMPAS (the Oscar people) just have contempt for traditional morality and so they are rewarding this film for its stand against traditional values.

A final note: although these many story elements are perfectly acceptable for adult fair, this is NOT a film for kids as the subject matter is VERY mature. Also, I was deeply disturbed by the families portrayed in the film because apparently, NOTHING was private or adult in this extended home. Two examples come to mind: the one scene where EVERYONE is making love like sex-crazed weasels so loudly that the little girl yelled at them to be quiet so she could get to sleep AND the scene where this same person (now an adult) is debating whether or not to have an abortion--while each child in the family tells her their opinion! This is sick and the family demonstrates a complete lack of reasonable boundaries. I'm not suggesting adults need to be prudes, but the idea of putting kids in these situations seems abusive and disturbing. If these types of situations are thrust on kids, what's next--showing them step-by-step photos of a prostate exam?