Reviews (6)

Everybody's Entertained
"Everybody's Famous" is one of the best films released in 2000. It rightfully earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film(Belgium). Its plot is highly catchy and funny. Its highly creative scenes keep everyone's interest the whole time. Its plot about a father, whose family is in poverty, who will do anything to make his daughter famous keeps everyone's eyes wide open, especially while he's taking action. The plot of the #1 singing sensation's kidnapping builds to a fine climax and conlusion. In average movies, such chain of events would never work. The writer's brilliance makes every scene fit as one movie. The acting is wonderful. Everyone offers their own humor and seriousness in the right times. The song "Lucky Manuelo" has a great unforgettable rhythm that should have become a hit in real life. "Everybody's Famous" is a great comedy for those looking for something unique. This will please many during and after viewing.

Charming movie about following that dream
In looking at the blue-haired Debbie on the cover, one might think, "Oh great, a bimbo picture for teenagers and young people." Think again--this is a quirky but refreshing feature from Belgium, set in Flanders. And by the way, Debbie's actually a stunning brunette with a great personality.

As for our cover girl, that's Debbie, the #1 pop sensation who's sold more records than the Beatles, Elvis, and Michael Jackson combined. Yet she seems more interested in car mechanics rather than singing, much to the chagrin of her promoter Michael.

Jean Vereecken, a worker at a bottle factory in his mid-forties, has dreams of becoming a songwriter, and thinks his daughter Marva is a talented singer. He writes songs for her but his efforts are underappreciated by his down-to-earth wife Chantal and totally unappreciated by Marva, who is irritated. Part of that comes from a lack of confidence. She is nineteen, a bit on the portly side, isn't exactly fashion model pretty, and doesn't have much of a life. Consequently, she gets low marks at the lookalike singing contests.

A crisis comes when the bottle factory goes bankrupt and all the workers get the sack. What to do? Jean's unemployment will cause him to lose more face in the eyes of his family. Jean's younger co-worker Willy, is financially supporting his girlfriend Liz, who is going to college. Any genuine feelings towards him are conspicuous by their absence. His unemployment means Liz will have to pay her own way, and that's the last thing he wants.

It's only when Debbie meets the downtrodden Jean that things begin to click a notch, and sets into motion a hairbrained scheme that draws in Willy and Michael.

Of the stars, Josse de Pauw succeeds as Jean, trying so hard, maybe too hard to please his daughter and gain her love at whatever cost. His singing attempts are clumsy but given his enthusiasm and joy at finding what he thinks is a winner is so encouraging. And if genuinely pretty and pleasant women--as opposed to fashion-model pretty--like Thekla Reuten (Debbie) were in plenty supply, this world would be a better place.

Victor Low (Michael) does a great job as a savvy businessman who's a master at artist promotion and publicity gimmicks. And Werner de Smedt plays Willy as someone who's actually sensitive and that part of him is drawn out later involving Jean's scheme.

The homages to 80's music was fun for me, as well as the lookalike contests. And there's a funny bit involving (kind of) Michael Jackson. The songs done here (not by the original artists) are Vanessa Paradis's "Be My Baby," Queen's "I Want To Break Free," and Madonna's "Material Girl."

As for the title, it's a reference to why everybody wants to be famous. Yes, it is to escape an ordinary life, but what is the result? Part of the answer comes from Debbie and involves talent. She is talented, therefore she didn't have to sleep with any managers to get to the top. And for those real-life girl singers today and yesterday who weren't talented but made it to the top? I wonder how many of those there are.

An entertaining comedy-drama that also explores the importance of being what one wants to be in one's heart, but also fighting the odds to discover that one precious dream, trying to rise above an anonymous crowd. Jean, Marva, and Debbie do just that in this charming movie.

A Belgian Oddball Comedy/Drama about a Father and a Daughter
One of the nominees at the Academy Award for Best Foreigen Film category, "Everybody's Famous" gathered considerable attention of critics, but at the same time divided their opinions. That is only natural because this Beligian film is too light-weight and predictable for all its charms and sentiments. So, which side you take totally depends on your feelings.

The story is reminiscent of the underrated Robert DeNiro - Jerry Lewis comedy satire, "The King of Comedy." A Belgian father working for a bottle factory is desperate to make his 17 year-old daughter a star. But as the terrible performance at local talent show testifies, she is no talent (but she seems to have some potential, since she can really sing at a puppet show, without showing herself up before the audience). One day, however, an incredible chance visits him. He finds a super-star singer Debbie riding a bycicle alone on the road, and inspite of his better judgement, he kiddnaps her, to threaten the producer into making the much-coveted TV debut for his beloved daughter.

After these initial events, there are some plot twists leading up to the final moment. I don't know how Belgian people reacted to the film, but I, being a Japanese, found the Flemish humors (if there are) very strange and unique. Of course, that depends on you and your culture, but maybe, I am afraid, during the process of translation we have lost many things. I suspect that, whatever the reason may be, it is nearly impossible for most of English-speaking viewers to seek for the kind of laughs you find in regular Hollywood outings.

But you still can enjoy the film as it is, and the father's love for his daughter is a universal theme, which is possibly the best thing of "Everybody's Famous." The last sequence is certainly heart-warming, but I still am not sure whether I really appreciated the film in the right way. That is because the film's satires on show biz world and craze for 15 minutes celebrity are, for me, are too self-evident these days when we have so many "reality TVs" and instant celebrities around us. If only the director developed the initial premise, that's how I thought.

The father is played effectively by Josse De Pauw, and also good is Debbie played by Thekla Reuten (if you are looking at a mysterious blue-haired girl on DVD jacket, that is her). But the father's daughter, key character of the film, is played by a newcomer (auditioned for the role, I read) Eva Van der Gucht, who clearly needs more training as a professional. She is no Toni Colette, who could have easily raised the credibility of the film several notches higher.

"Lucky Manuelo!"
What happens when a father's love for his child brings him to commit abduction? This Belgian film is an extremely accessible film as the themes are universal. A father has such strong love for his daughter, but his daughter sees him as unsupportive and his wife plays the middle of the fence. So, when he loses his job, he gets desperate and takes illegal action to get his daughter a record contract. But who is blackmailing whom? This film is extremely enjoyable with a similar flavor to the equally charming THE FULL MONTY. The DVD has very little to offer other than the widescreen film. Well worth the Best Foreign Film Oscar nomination from 2000.

Those amusing Belgians......
In Europe, the Belgians are generally held to be the butt of jokes, especially by their French neighbours, in the same way that the English are always making Irish jokes. However in recent years there have been a number of films that have come from that little country which have shown a dark and wicked humour. This film, while not quite as original as the hilarious "The Carriers are Waiting" does have enough camp humour to keep viewers entertained.

Working at a bottle factory, Dad has dreams for his not-so-talented daughter, who is forever coming last in the local talent contests. He also believes he has a pop hit on his hands, with a tune that he has been humming. As chance would have it, he comes across .... What follows is a mostly funny, sometimes cruel look at the notion of celebrity and the lengths people will go to in order to achieve it - a natural bedfellow, though not in the same class as Scorcese's "King of Comedy".

The humour is not terribly subtle but scores in the talent show scenes, especially the Michael Jackson lookalike and the blacken-faced man who does Otis Redding and also with Marva, the daughter, ....

That aside, it is an entertaining diversion in the same way as "Muriel's Wedding" was, and I dare you not to hum 'Lucky Manuelo' days after watching this! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

An all-time-favorite
Antonie Kamerling is GREAT as Chris. Every time I show this film I am told by the people present that they are completely taken by this film. It can be difficult to sit through bacause of the manipulative way Chris is treated... but it is a frightening look into shady characters of the under-world.... It`s daring... it`s haunting... it`s great...

How NOT to Transfer a Motion Picture Film to DVD!
The technicians who did the telecine work on this DVD product should be sent back to video school. Not only is the widescreen movie framed to 4:3 (cutting off the left and right sides), but the picture is "overscanned" (cutting off the top and bottom portions) as well. At least 30% of the widescreen frame cannot be seen--hiding some of the subtitles. For those movie lovers interested in an absorbing European erotic thriller, may I recommend the VHS form of "Suite 16" distributed in Canada by Norstar Entertainment/Malofilm. Their widescreen transfer is properly done. Perhaps these Canadians can produce the DVD product sometime soon.
Note: There are at least three different "cuts" of this film: 106 minutes (European version), 98 minutes (Canada R-rated version), 93 minutes (U.S. R-rated version).

techincal problems
I found it hard to watch. The movie is in a language other than English which comes as no surprise. The problem is that the subtitles are partially cut off in the lower half of the second line of dialogue. It was too difficult to determine what was happening since I don't speak the language and the subtitles were largely illegiable. I never finished the movie. This applies to the DVD version

EXCELLENT MOVIE
One of the best movies I've ever seen! and it's not because of the erotic content, it's because it is a smart movie for smart audiences. Pete Postlethwaite Glover plays an awesome role: Calm and to the point. Great film with a twisted plot and the ending is just...well, you have to see it!

GREAT EROTIC THRILLER
Antonie Kamerling and Peter Postlethwaite excell in this haunting erotic thriller, containing manipulation, deceit and love/ hate releations. A film impossible to ignore. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

An all-time-favorite
Antonie Kamerling is GREAT as Chris. Every time I show this film I am told by the people present that they are completely taken by this film. It can be difficult to sit through bacause of the manipulative way Chris is treated... but it is a frightening look into shady characters of the under-world.... It`s daring... it`s haunting... it`s great...

How NOT to Transfer a Motion Picture Film to DVD!
The technicians who did the telecine work on this DVD product should be sent back to video school. Not only is the widescreen movie framed to 4:3 (cutting off the left and right sides), but the picture is "overscanned" (cutting off the top and bottom portions) as well. At least 30% of the widescreen frame cannot be seen--hiding some of the subtitles. For those movie lovers interested in an absorbing European erotic thriller, may I recommend the VHS form of "Suite 16" distributed in Canada by Norstar Entertainment/Malofilm. Their widescreen transfer is properly done. Perhaps these Canadians can produce the DVD product sometime soon.
Note: There are at least three different "cuts" of this film: 106 minutes (European version), 98 minutes (Canada R-rated version), 93 minutes (U.S. R-rated version).

techincal problems
I found it hard to watch. The movie is in a language other than English which comes as no surprise. The problem is that the subtitles are partially cut off in the lower half of the second line of dialogue. It was too difficult to determine what was happening since I don't speak the language and the subtitles were largely illegiable. I never finished the movie. This applies to the DVD version

EXCELLENT MOVIE
One of the best movies I've ever seen! and it's not because of the erotic content, it's because it is a smart movie for smart audiences. Pete Postlethwaite Glover plays an awesome role: Calm and to the point. Great film with a twisted plot and the ending is just...well, you have to see it!

GREAT EROTIC THRILLER
Antonie Kamerling and Peter Postlethwaite excell in this haunting erotic thriller, containing manipulation, deceit and love/ hate releations. A film impossible to ignore. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

great book, BAD MOVIE
They took a great book and turned it into an unwatchable movie. any fan of John Fante (author of the book) should not see this.. IT WAS HORRIBLE. i wish there was someway to go back and take the name off of it. READ THE BOOK by Fante. dont watch the movie

Wait Until You Can't Sleep...
...Then watch this movie. Joe Mantenga is an immigrant brick layer who married above his social class. His Tuscan wife suffers with the children as Mantenga attempts to earn a living, a struggle nearly as hard as watching this film. Mantenga finds a job and a meal ticket when wealthy Faye Dunaway hires him for a small job but wants to keep him around. This film has two great actors, Faye Dunaway and Joe Mantegna but oddly the only one that shows any spark is Ornella Muti as Mantegna's wife. Not laughable or obnoxious, just plain dull. The actors are given nothing to do or say and that is a shame for them, and for anyone watching this film.

Faye at her worst
Faye Dunaway is one of my favorites, and I can enjoy just about anything she does, but this movie was really awful. In fact, I turned it off halfway through it was so bad. If a hardcore Dunaway fan can't tolerate it, no one can. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

very, very Belgian
Why did this movie capture (for me) such a Belgian "bruxellois" athmosphere? For many reasons. Partially the use of the two languages (why I think French dubbing is a big mistake), but certainly also the locations and situations. And because it is so realistic. Real characters who are to complicated for a simple "good guy against bad guy" view. Also the story behind the making of this movie is absolutely great (made with own money, own script and filmed in 16 days). The humour of this movie goes a bit furhter than what the commercial market calls "a comedy". This movie is so realistic (in most ways) and about everyday people that the subtile scenes keep me laughing even when I think back to them. One big tip: keep your eye on the background. Especially when the two maffia-brothers come along. Try to get captured in the story, and this one will get you in one of those delicious apres-film moods for a few days. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Everybody's Entertained
"Everybody's Famous" is one of the best films released in 2000. It rightfully earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film(Belgium). Its plot is highly catchy and funny. Its highly creative scenes keep everyone's interest the whole time. Its plot about a father, whose family is in poverty, who will do anything to make his daughter famous keeps everyone's eyes wide open, especially while he's taking action. The plot of the #1 singing sensation's kidnapping builds to a fine climax and conlusion. In average movies, such chain of events would never work. The writer's brilliance makes every scene fit as one movie. The acting is wonderful. Everyone offers their own humor and seriousness in the right times. The song "Lucky Manuelo" has a great unforgettable rhythm that should have become a hit in real life. "Everybody's Famous" is a great comedy for those looking for something unique. This will please many during and after viewing.

Charming movie about following that dream
In looking at the blue-haired Debbie on the cover, one might think, "Oh great, a bimbo picture for teenagers and young people." Think again--this is a quirky but refreshing feature from Belgium, set in Flanders. And by the way, Debbie's actually a stunning brunette with a great personality.

As for our cover girl, that's Debbie, the #1 pop sensation who's sold more records than the Beatles, Elvis, and Michael Jackson combined. Yet she seems more interested in car mechanics rather than singing, much to the chagrin of her promoter Michael.

Jean Vereecken, a worker at a bottle factory in his mid-forties, has dreams of becoming a songwriter, and thinks his daughter Marva is a talented singer. He writes songs for her but his efforts are underappreciated by his down-to-earth wife Chantal and totally unappreciated by Marva, who is irritated. Part of that comes from a lack of confidence. She is nineteen, a bit on the portly side, isn't exactly fashion model pretty, and doesn't have much of a life. Consequently, she gets low marks at the lookalike singing contests.

A crisis comes when the bottle factory goes bankrupt and all the workers get the sack. What to do? Jean's unemployment will cause him to lose more face in the eyes of his family. Jean's younger co-worker Willy, is financially supporting his girlfriend Liz, who is going to college. Any genuine feelings towards him are conspicuous by their absence. His unemployment means Liz will have to pay her own way, and that's the last thing he wants.

It's only when Debbie meets the downtrodden Jean that things begin to click a notch, and sets into motion a hairbrained scheme that draws in Willy and Michael.

Of the stars, Josse de Pauw succeeds as Jean, trying so hard, maybe too hard to please his daughter and gain her love at whatever cost. His singing attempts are clumsy but given his enthusiasm and joy at finding what he thinks is a winner is so encouraging. And if genuinely pretty and pleasant women--as opposed to fashion-model pretty--like Thekla Reuten (Debbie) were in plenty supply, this world would be a better place.

Victor Low (Michael) does a great job as a savvy businessman who's a master at artist promotion and publicity gimmicks. And Werner de Smedt plays Willy as someone who's actually sensitive and that part of him is drawn out later involving Jean's scheme.

The homages to 80's music was fun for me, as well as the lookalike contests. And there's a funny bit involving (kind of) Michael Jackson. The songs done here (not by the original artists) are Vanessa Paradis's "Be My Baby," Queen's "I Want To Break Free," and Madonna's "Material Girl."

As for the title, it's a reference to why everybody wants to be famous. Yes, it is to escape an ordinary life, but what is the result? Part of the answer comes from Debbie and involves talent. She is talented, therefore she didn't have to sleep with any managers to get to the top. And for those real-life girl singers today and yesterday who weren't talented but made it to the top? I wonder how many of those there are.

An entertaining comedy-drama that also explores the importance of being what one wants to be in one's heart, but also fighting the odds to discover that one precious dream, trying to rise above an anonymous crowd. Jean, Marva, and Debbie do just that in this charming movie.

A Belgian Oddball Comedy/Drama about a Father and a Daughter
One of the nominees at the Academy Award for Best Foreigen Film category, "Everybody's Famous" gathered considerable attention of critics, but at the same time divided their opinions. That is only natural because this Beligian film is too light-weight and predictable for all its charms and sentiments. So, which side you take totally depends on your feelings.

The story is reminiscent of the underrated Robert DeNiro - Jerry Lewis comedy satire, "The King of Comedy." A Belgian father working for a bottle factory is desperate to make his 17 year-old daughter a star. But as the terrible performance at local talent show testifies, she is no talent (but she seems to have some potential, since she can really sing at a puppet show, without showing herself up before the audience). One day, however, an incredible chance visits him. He finds a super-star singer Debbie riding a bycicle alone on the road, and inspite of his better judgement, he kiddnaps her, to threaten the producer into making the much-coveted TV debut for his beloved daughter.

After these initial events, there are some plot twists leading up to the final moment. I don't know how Belgian people reacted to the film, but I, being a Japanese, found the Flemish humors (if there are) very strange and unique. Of course, that depends on you and your culture, but maybe, I am afraid, during the process of translation we have lost many things. I suspect that, whatever the reason may be, it is nearly impossible for most of English-speaking viewers to seek for the kind of laughs you find in regular Hollywood outings.

But you still can enjoy the film as it is, and the father's love for his daughter is a universal theme, which is possibly the best thing of "Everybody's Famous." The last sequence is certainly heart-warming, but I still am not sure whether I really appreciated the film in the right way. That is because the film's satires on show biz world and craze for 15 minutes celebrity are, for me, are too self-evident these days when we have so many "reality TVs" and instant celebrities around us. If only the director developed the initial premise, that's how I thought.

The father is played effectively by Josse De Pauw, and also good is Debbie played by Thekla Reuten (if you are looking at a mysterious blue-haired girl on DVD jacket, that is her). But the father's daughter, key character of the film, is played by a newcomer (auditioned for the role, I read) Eva Van der Gucht, who clearly needs more training as a professional. She is no Toni Colette, who could have easily raised the credibility of the film several notches higher.

"Lucky Manuelo!"
What happens when a father's love for his child brings him to commit abduction? This Belgian film is an extremely accessible film as the themes are universal. A father has such strong love for his daughter, but his daughter sees him as unsupportive and his wife plays the middle of the fence. So, when he loses his job, he gets desperate and takes illegal action to get his daughter a record contract. But who is blackmailing whom? This film is extremely enjoyable with a similar flavor to the equally charming THE FULL MONTY. The DVD has very little to offer other than the widescreen film. Well worth the Best Foreign Film Oscar nomination from 2000.

Those amusing Belgians......
In Europe, the Belgians are generally held to be the butt of jokes, especially by their French neighbours, in the same way that the English are always making Irish jokes. However in recent years there have been a number of films that have come from that little country which have shown a dark and wicked humour. This film, while not quite as original as the hilarious "The Carriers are Waiting" does have enough camp humour to keep viewers entertained.

Working at a bottle factory, Dad has dreams for his not-so-talented daughter, who is forever coming last in the local talent contests. He also believes he has a pop hit on his hands, with a tune that he has been humming. As chance would have it, he comes across .... What follows is a mostly funny, sometimes cruel look at the notion of celebrity and the lengths people will go to in order to achieve it - a natural bedfellow, though not in the same class as Scorcese's "King of Comedy".

The humour is not terribly subtle but scores in the talent show scenes, especially the Michael Jackson lookalike and the blacken-faced man who does Otis Redding and also with Marva, the daughter, ....

That aside, it is an entertaining diversion in the same way as "Muriel's Wedding" was, and I dare you not to hum 'Lucky Manuelo' days after watching this! ... Read more