Black Book (2006), A Belated Crimefile Film Review

Los Angeles, CA—I don’t know how this film escaped my notice until I caught it on the Cable channel, Encore.

Perhaps distribution and marketing was limited because most of the film is in Dutch and German with English subtitles.

Black Book (2006), is based on a true adventure during World War Two. Director Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, Robo Cop and Total Recall) directed this film with a superb ensemble cast led by the stunning Carice Van Houten.

This is a spy thriller about a beautiful young Jewish singer, played by Van Houten that is trapped in Nazi occupied Holland who joins the Dutch underground out of sheer necessity to survive.

Van Houten’s character suffers every unimaginable threat as she becomes tangled in a plot of Nazi criminals even worse than Hitler’s closest henchmen if that was somehow possible. The actors playing the bad guys were as good as they get.

The acting, costumes and historical detail were impeckable and second to none. The script was a masterpiece.

I have to say Black Book was on the top the best seven films I have ever seen. Don’t rent it, buy it for your personal film library.

Carice Van Houten is very busy making more films right now. She has what it takes to be the greatest leading lady ever.

More on Carice Van Houten here.

Comments

Amusing Bunni said…

Wow, that looks great, I'll have to see it. I love historical films.

August 02, 2009 7:46 PM

Anonymous said…

HI Crimefile

I totally love this movie too. The director had to leave Hollywood and go home to Holland make a serious movie.

It is not popular in U.S. because it shows a Nazi who was endearing - a Robert Redford type - who was attracted to a jewish woman.
Carice the actress who plays the jewish woman is gorgeous and incredible. But then Paul Verhoeven cast Sharon Stone for Basic Instinct so Paul as a film director is good at casting strong sexy actresses for his movies and is not hampered with any inhibitions in regards to showing sex and violence or showing an unpopular view that at least one Nazi seemed to show some morality for the woman he loved.

August 02, 2009 11:57 PM

CPD RETIRED said…

Yes Paul, a great flic. I rented it from NETFLIX 2 years ago. Not the type of movie though you want to watch in pieces, with all the twists.
Yea, her character went thru hell;
kinda like what us Conservatives are going thru now.......

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