Themes: Haunted By the Past, Life in the Arts, Death of a Partner
Main Cast: Paul Freeman, Diana Kent, Susan Lynch, Ann Bourroughs, Eric van der Donk
Release Year: 2001
Country: NL
Run Time: 95 minutes
Plot
Everything seems to be going right for Julius Morlang (Paul Freeman, best-known as the villainous Rene Belloq in Raiders of the Lost Ark). He lives with his beautiful young girlfriend, Ann (Susan Lynch of From Hell), in a lovely cliffside home on the Pacific coast of Ireland. His once-stagnant art career is undergoing a resurgence and his agent (Eric van der Donk) tells him, "You seem a little happier. It's in your work." But things begin to fall apart when someone breaks into his home and ransacks it, leaving a cryptic message. Through flashbacks the audience discovers the truth about the death of Ellen (Diana Kent), Julius' wife of 15 years. Julius soon finds his new life with Ann threatened by a malevolent figure from his past. The basic premise of Morlang, Tjebbo Penning's directorial debut feature, was inspired by a television news story. Penning's film won awards for Best Lead Actor (Freeman) and Best First Film at the 2001 Cairo International Film Festival. It was also shown in competition at the 2002 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
Review
Tjebbo Penning's Morlang is a beautifully shot and well-acted film that works better as straight drama than as the suspenseful thriller it tries to be. Paul Freeman has tremendous intensity as Julius Morlang, which effectively belies the character's seeming passivity. Morlang is a complex and frequently unsympathetic character, but Freeman makes this gifted artist and tormented man both true-to-life and fascinating. Susan Lynch also stands out as Morlang's young lover, Ann. Her playfully sexy performance is the most memorable aspect of the film, after its striking visuals. Penning and director of photography Han Wennink have created some stunning images, particularly amid the lush greenery at Morlang's country home on the Irish seaside. As the film elliptically examines Morlang's troubled marriage to Ellen (Diana Kent) and his relationship with Ann, flashing back and forth in time, the thriller plot that develops is unfortunately less compelling and less believable than the characters themselves and their relationships. There's little suspense generated over who is stalking Morlang and why. A scene in which Morlang's nemesis torments him by slowing down his golf game is clearly more silly than intended. Still, the film is worth watching for its gorgeous visuals, its strong performances, and for the sad, humble domestic drama at its core. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
