Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

socalgranny-30982 This is the story of 4 people who flew together on a plane from the Netherlands to New Zealand to start a new life. It goes downhill from there. Most of the action is around Frank, the Don Juan of the vineyards and the scene where the simmering but repressed Ada stands naked like Venus de Milo before him and they have soft porn sex on screen, something her religious zealot husband is not able to provide. Otherwise, everything is quite conventional, prim and proper.

SnoopyStyle In the present day, successful winemaker Frank de Rooy dies and three women are requested at his funeral. In 1953, a KLM flight breaks a record traveling from London to Christchurch. Frank meets Ada van Holland, Esther Cahn, and Marjorie Mullin who are three of the brides on their way to New Zealand. Frank lost his family in colonial Indonesia during the war. He falls for country girl Ada but she's already married by proxy to Calvinist Derk Visser. She goes on to live a loveless marriage in a bunker having several children. The only passion is the exchange of letters with Frank until he discovers them. Esther is an independent Jewish woman after losing everyone in the Holocaust. She refuses to live with ghosts from the past and charges forward making a career as a successful fashion designer. Marjorie marries Hans Doorman. After Esther gives birth, Marjorie adopts the baby as her own.It's an old-fashion romantic melodrama. Ada's quiet suffering is devastating and her life is worthy of any pulp romance. This is all very pulpy with Marjorie and Esther. The movie should stop flashing forward to the modern era so much. It should have stopped after Rutger Hauer died. Every time it goes modern, the movie grinds to a halt. The modern era should be tiny bookends. Otherwise, this is a good old fashion melodrama if one is inclined towards such things.

Caren Young I just streamed this Dutch movie on Netflix and thought it was very good. Had to rewind the beginning to get the characters straight because of all the flashbacks, but that's a minor complaint. The acting was wonderful, especially by Waldemar Torenstra. I'd never heard of him, which is surprising, because he has incredible screen presence and charisma. So easy to see how Ada could fall for him in one flight. Too bad he hasn't been in more movies.The other actors were very good too, and the storyline, based on a real event, was compelling. The scenery was amazing--New Zealand is truly gorgeous--and it was fun to see cars etc. from the fifties. I read that this was one of the most expensive Dutch films ever, maybe because of all the location shooting.

FilmRap The white subtitles, translating Dutch to English, on mostly white background, especially at the beginning of the, film mixed with some rapid flashbacks to different time periods, also early in the film, were found to be quite bothersome by myself and the three others with whom I attended this movie . This was especially true as the characters and storyline was being established. Despite this distraction, as the movie progressed we all found it to be quite engrossing. There was some very rich character development, excellent plot lines and a magnificent beautiful setting in New Zealand. The story begins in post World War II Holland in the 1950s as three young women (Karina Smulders, Anna Drijver and Elise Schaap) are boarding an airplane for New Zealand to join their new husbands and start a new life. One of them is Jewish and the trauma of the holocaust will have a very subtle cast on the film. On board they also meet Frank (Wakdenar Torenstra ) a young man, somewhat of a free spirit, also seeking a new life as a farmer and ultimately a wine maker who will play prominently in their lives. The story captures the frontier life in New Zealand at this time, the conflicts of religion, passion, friendships and good old fashioned romance. There is also a theme of an important family secret that hovers in the story and should be one that you have seen and thought about in other settings. In alternating time sequences, we get to know these people as their lives progress to a point 40 or 50 years later. There is a coming together at the conclusion of the film, which is poignant and quite moving. This is the story about these people but the background atmosphere is the post war settlement of this small beautiful land. After seeing this film whenever you enjoy a glass of New Zealand wine you may reflect on this movie and the people whose lives you came to understand. FilmRap.net