God Only Knows is a 2019 Dutch language arthouse film written and directed by Mijke de Jong. The film stars Marcel Musters as a mentally ill man, with Monic Hendrickx and Elsie de Brauw as his two sisters. Musters won a Golden Calf for Best Actor for his role.
| God Only Knows | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Mijke de Jong |
| Written by | Mijke de Jong |
| Screenplay by | Mijke de Jong |
| Produced by | Tokapi Films |
| Starring | Marcel Musters Monic Hendrickx Elsie de Brauw |
| Cinematography | Ton Peters |
Release date |
|
Running time | 78 minutes |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Language | Dutch |
| Box office | $185,683[1] |
Plot
editThomas is a mentally ill man in his fifties living on his own in Amsterdam. On Maundy Thursday, he becomes confused and jumps into a canal. His loving older sister Doris immediately comes to his aid, whereas the younger sister Hannah prefers to focus on her own commitments as a photographer. Over the Easter holiday, it becomes clear that Thomas is in need of care and the tensions between the three siblings are drawn out.
Cast
edit- Marcel Musters as Thomas
- Monic Hendrickx as Hannah, younger sister of Thomas
- Elsie de Brauw as Doris, older sister of Thomas
Production & release
editThe producer, Topkapi Films, announced in Screen Daily in January 2018 that God Only Knows would shoot later that year.[2] By July 2018, the film had been shot and the actors playing the three main roles had been announced, but the date of the cinematic release was still not set.[3]
It was then confirmed that God Only Knows would premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) on 29 January 2019 and would receive a Dutch cinematic release on 4 April 2019.[4] In its opening weekend the film took $27,015 and over its run $185,683. Since it did not receive an international release, this latter figure was also its worldwide takings.[1]
Critical reception
editThe film received praise from critics. The Cineuropa reviewer at IFFR praised de Jong for "approaching mental health issues and vulnerability with a certain amount of sensitivity, in a touching portrait of a condition that is rarely tackled on the big screen" and called her "a true auteur".[5]
In the Dutch press, Volkskrant gave the film four out of five stars and lauded the acting of the three main characters.[6] Trouw awarded three out of five stars and enjoyed the complicated portrayal of tensions in a family. The reviewer remarked that the film raised an interesting question about the foundational role of the idea of suffering in Western European culture.[7]
God Only Knows was nominated for three Golden Calf awards, with Marcel Musters winning the Golden Calf for Best Actor.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b "God Only Knows". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ Macnab, Geoffrey (29 January 2018). "Topkapi Films reveal details of ambitious TV drama 'Flying Dutchmen'". Screen Daily. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Monic Hendrickx met Marcel Musters in drama over broer en zussen". NU (in Dutch). BuzzE/NU/ANP. 11 July 2018. Archived from the original on 17 November 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "God Only Knows met Monic Hendrickx in première op IFFR". NU (in Dutch). 25 January 2019. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ Oggiano, Roberto. "Review: God Only Knows". Cineuropa. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ Toma, Kevin (3 April 2019). "God Only Knows voelt grillig en robuust, maar nooit gekunsteld ★★★★☆". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ Rovers, Ronald (4 April 2019). "De hoofdpersonen in het slim geschreven 'God Only Knows' houden elkaar in een houdgreep". Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Beste Acteur ⋆ Nederlands Film Festival". Nederlands Film Festival (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2020.