Pauline & Paulette

(2001) Pauline & Paulette (In Dutch with English subtitles) DRAMA

Co-written and directed by Lieven Debrauwer, with "Pauline and Paulette" as the movie is called are the 2 elder sisters of Dora van der Groen as Pauline and Ann Petersen as Paulette. Become reunited after a sudden death of another former sister, Martha the sole longtime caretaker of the three sisters only disadvantaged sister Paulette. She looks after her by cutting her food into little pieces as well as tying her shoe laces before Paulette spends her spare time watering flowers at the flower garden as she has a personal thing with flowers in general, so much so she also has a cut and paste book full of pictures of flowers. But after the lone caretaker Martha's sudden death, the other 2 living sisters of Cécile (Rosemarie Bergmans) and Pauline are somewhat forced by the hand to look after her. While Pauline runs a clothing shop singing opera in her spare time around the area, the other living sister may be moving to Spain with her French boyfriend, both want to put her into an institution except that the will in itself is demanding a compromise.

This film is a subtle charmer. The acting is wonderful and worth watching several times, especially the character of Pauline and how she interacts with all the other characters of the film. Watch her eyes. An amazing portrayal. While the plot may seem simplistic to some viewers, it is not without its own form of dramatic tension and compelling comedy. The colors of the sets are interesting in conjunction with the character development. The music chosen for each scene is interesting and idiosyncratic. I was reminded of the Norwegian film "Elling," as well as some elements of the Canadian film "Strangers in Good Company." All these films have a real breath of fresh air that is palpable.

I found this a touching, funny and involving film. Dora van der Groen's portrayal of the child-like 66 year old Pauline was remarkable in that she was never 'acting' and it was hard to believe that she was an actor playing a disabled woman and not a disabled woman acting. (She was my choice for best female actor in the European film awards.) The rest of the cast was excellent too and though this is a 'small' film, it covers the subject better than any of the more famous Hollywood pictures. Well worth a look.

I saw previews for this film and it caught my eye, so I rented the DVD. It was extremely well acted, especially by Dora van der Groen as Pauline. It had funny moments, and also true-to-life moments. It wasn't earth shattering, but it was very touching. I also enjoyed the director's commentary on the DVD. He talked about the decisions made, especially the use of color, and how long it took to get the film made - 4 years! It really was a labor of love. If you need heart-wrenching drama or action, this isn't the film for you, but if you appreciate good acting and scenes that touch your heart, I highly recommend this one!

I never expected much of this film although it was a Belgian picture and it had gained some reasonable success in (and even outside) Belgium. When I went to see it, I got what I thought I would get.

"Pauline en Paulette" is not a bad movie, but it has its flaws. First of all, the film doesn't provide any fresh material. It's a mix of some of the better 'retarded-movies' Hollywood has given us throughout the years: "Rain man", "Awakenings" and "What's eating Gilbert Grape". Especially the Leonardo DiCaprio film has some serious similarities with this one here. In both films, the autistic person is not always welcome and does not always get the required attention and caring. So, the story had been used before.

The acting was pretty good and the classical music within the film was a nice and fresh change. I respect this film for it is a Belgian one (and Belgian films are always low-budget), but it simply didn't get to me. I watched it, but I never felt anything. I couldn't care less about the characters. The fact that three old women take the lead might have something to do with it, but I think it's mainly because the whole film is so monotonous. And the few jokes can't help refreshing the gloomy script. Still, I stayed seated and underwent the film.

Not bad for a debut, but with a more original storyline and more colorful characters, this film might have been truly worth-watching.