Gewoon Vrienden [Just Friends] *** (2018, Majd Mardo, Josha Stradowski, Jenny Arean, Tanja Jess, Nazmiye Oral) – Classic Movie Review 12,385

The 2018 Dutch feel-good romantic comedy drama film Gewoon Vrienden [Just Friends] has a few sharpish edges and odd corners built in, but mostly it is a real smooth fun ride.

The romance of two young men from different cultural backgrounds in the Netherlands hits a slight snag when their different ages, backgrounds, and lifestyles, and the idiosyncrasies of their overbearing mothers seem to threaten to keep them apart, and especially when one of them sets about beating up homophobes on their first dinner date at an American diner. Luckily, actually, they’ve got everyone on their side, especially Gran.

The 2018 Dutch feel-good romantic comedy drama Gewoon Vrienden [Just Friends] has a few sharpish edges and odd corners built in, but mostly it is a real smooth ride, entertaining, romantic, sentimental and fun. Josha Stradowski stars as the young tough blond Dutch man Joris (aged 21), loving Gran but clashing with his strong-willed but troubled mother Simone (Tanja Jess), who is addicted to plastic surgery. Joris is trying to come to terms with loss of his father some long while back, and Simone is also trying to come to terms her own emotions over her philandering late husband. Majd Mardo also stars as the Syrian medical student Yad (aged 26), who gives up his studies and returns from Amsterdam (‘Amsterdam was too fun. My studies too boring’) to live temporarily with his family, including his strict mother, Maryam (Nazmiye Oral).

Yad works as a surfing instructor and a home domestic help to Joris’s sweet and kindly grandmother Ans (Jenny Arean), virtually the only person in the movie that has got things sorted out. Joris’s grandmother Ans (Jenny Arean) is brilliant, a fount of all-embracing homespun love and wisdom: ‘You do not control love, love controls you.’ Everyone else is going to need to get their acts together.

It is love at first sight for beautiful people Joris and Yad, and they are made for each other, but Yad and Joris have a big falling-out, a total bust-up. Before they could go on, they first have to come to terms with their mothers, and Joris has to sort out his father issues and reconcile with the loss. The father has died of a heart attack 10 years ago, leaving his wife wealthy, a pile of stuff in a lockup, and his ashes in an urn that no one wants.

[Spoiler alert] If any film were going to have a happy ending, this would be it. There is virtually no conflict. There is nothing really in the way of love and happiness for Joris and Yad. The film keeps being fun though. It is sweet and touching, Only the kind of homophobes that Joris sets about beating up could take against it.

Majd Mardo and Josha Stradowski, are appealing as the romantic heroes Jenny Arean is quite the star as Gran, Tanja Jess is a campy showstopper as Mum, and Nazmiye Oral is effective as the rather chilly mother Syrian Maryam.

The Majd Mardo as Yad, Josha Stradowski as Joris, Jenny Arean as Ans, Tanja Jess as Simone, Melody Klaver as Moon, Mohamad Alahmad as Elias, Nazmiye Oral as Maryam, Elène Zuidmeer as Fientje, Roscoe Leijen as Gerlof, Sjoerd Dragtsma as Mitch, Younes Badrane as Trainer, Stan Gobel as Young Joris, Renske Hettinga as Young Moon, Anne Prakke as Bart, Sonia Eijken as Lely, Malcolm Hugo Glenn as Erwin, Tessa du Mee as crematory clerk, and Justin Mooijer as Yad’s friend.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,385

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