Bride Flight

Bride Flight is an absolutely beautiful movie that serves as a window into the lives of 4 people, and the connections between them after they met and bonded on a plane to a new start in New Zealand. Its a romantic drama that takes it beyond just the romance shared between two of the characters and makes it about the relationships these four people have with each other throughout their lives. It goes beyond a love story and makes it a story about life, the relationships we have with the people around us, the choices we make, and the regrets and satisfactions that come from those choices after we've lived out our lives and reached old age. I'm not really into chick flick love stories, but the fact that it is more about life in general and the outcomes from our choices made the movie a lot more relevant to me. The four principle characters are absolutely fantastic! Their acting is superb and each one of them makes you fall in love with them in their own unique way. The ending is emotionally touching as the three women look back at the man that changed all their lives in a way they never thought possible, and ride away together reminiscing on the lives they've lived, and their relationships together. It's absolutely touching and beautiful!

I saw the trailer of this movie several times and I just hated it. Bombastic overpowering music that overloaded my senses and gave the impression of an average movie. The complete movie is totally different and I loved every minute of it (all 130). The acting is subtle and strong and New Zealand provides a beautiful background for some amazing shots. The story has real power and all twists and turns feel very natural. You get a real good feel about all the characters involved and their motivations. They all evolve together to the end of the movie. Special mention for me are two of the main characters, Frank and Ada. The (erotic) tension between these actors is one of the most intense I've ever seen in cinema. If you like well told drama with great acting this is the movie for you. Forget the trailer, go to see the real thing!

On paper the story of Bride Flight might be told in 5 sentences but it's all executed in a convincing fashion with a keen and convincing eye for locale and historic atmosphere. The movie is about three women that fly to find their future in New Zealand in the fifties. On the plane is a man that will influence and tie their lives together in an unforeseen manner. The strength of the movie lies in the characters and the convincing way they are portrayed. Waldemar Torenstra is very convincing as the charismatic and Deanesque Frank that makes the other male characters (but not their performers) pale in comparison. Karina Smulders is delicious with her big naive gazing eyes. In fact the whole cast turns in solid performances and the young and old versions of the characters are very much in line with each other. All in all it's not an epic movie like "de Tweeling", director Ben Sombogaard previous movie, but it increasingly takes you by the throat as the story unwinds and relationships become clearer. A pity we did not see more of Rutger Hauer though.

My wife lured me to this movie, she had the evening off and we wanted to do something together. In the theater I was the only male, the rest of the viewers were all women. But I did enjoy the movie. Great acting, the director took the time needed to build the atmosphere for each scene. I must say that sometimes the camera was too close. Very intimate. And also the twist at the end could have been somewhat more dramatic (although I cannot exactly say in which way). But it was enough to make me think about the story (stories!) the whole next day. I even decided to write this review. I agree fully with an other review, that the trailer does not reflect the movie: the latter is much more intense! and Ada, what a great actress Karina Smulders is, the stars came off the screen! The casting (two actresses for the young and old main characters) was also very good. I can recommend this movie to everyone!

This is an absolute GEM of a movie that tells the story of 3 women and 1 man who meet on a flight as they are emigrating in the early 50's from the Netherlands to New Zealand, leaving behind floods and terrible economic conditions. Many of the women on this flight(like our protagonists) have already accepted proposals of marriage from New Zealand men whom they have not even met. These 4 actors embark on a new life; but as things work out ,their lives become intertwined in unusual and unimagined ways.As events unfold, we see the consequences of decisions, some of which should have been reconsidered and were not,some which could be renounced and were, and some which were allowed to play out with tumultuous results.This intriguing saga is at times agonizing,at times uplifting, at times poignant but always compelling. The actors are excellent and fully photogenic! If you are interested in a superb,engrossing and captivating drama, get on board,buckle up and enjoy the flight.