[REL] Onder de Blote Hemel (2023)

[ferdi111]

Searched for reviews found https://www.filmtotaal.nl/recensie/18941 in Dutch

Update: Luiz mother was positive character for me
She didn't scream at her but only asked kindly to wait a few years.
And was ready to explain all birds and bees herself since she saw girls mother will not do it.

[marvingray]

I've got a lot to say about this film and I am wondering if I can succinctly(edit:apparently I can't) express it without blabbering or forgetting details. Also, if you watched the movie and don't want to read the endless blab, I have 2 questions at the end about the film.

Firstly, this is a 5/5 film for me. Not just for FLM, but in general I think this may be at least an overall top 50 movie for me.

**full spoilers ahead**

The portrayal of growing up with a parent with a mental illness is frighteningly accurate. Either the writer or director had this experience or they did their research. The longing to be like people with normal families (Luiz's family) the anger you feel toward the parent, despite knowing they can't help themselves, the feeling of you, the kid, having to be in the parent role (asking her mother if she wants to watch a movie to calm her down, or sleeping with her when she is distraught.) the lack of desire of the parent to care for themselves in simple ways like hygiene(Elvie points out she doesn't shower regularly) the parent putting the kid in awkward situations they seem oblivious to (not understanding what was wrong with Elvie sleeping in the bed naked with Luiz, her mother making her come home when she is finally having fun with Luiz's family.)

The movie is intensely somber, and I have been critical of movies that start to feel like depression-porn to me, as in, let's see how many bad things we can show happen to the character in our runtime. I think there is a difference here, possibly subtle, in that it is iron focused on how Elvie's life is affected by her mother's condition and portraying that as realistically as possible. There's not the random "here's the scene where Elvie gets brutally raped." as the most obvious example. I had that feeling of dread when Elvie catches Danny(her mom's lover) stealing from her mother while alone in the house, but thankfully the film didn't go there.

I appreciated that the grandfather, the mother, and Elvie were all fleshed out characters, facing obstacles accurate to the era their life is in. Particularly, the grandfather being put in the tough situation of caring for the mother his entire life and now trying to navigate Elvie's life and the unique issues she is facing that is isolating her from society and depressing her. Having the grandfather die at the end was heartbreaking, but it needed to happen because the film is ultimately, at least I think, about Elvie taking steps to liberate herself from her mother.

Which brings me to the physical violence aspect of the film, easily the toughest part to watch. It's portrayed brutally while not quite going over the top. I read a review on IMDB that said something to the affect of, "I didn't like how negatively it portrayed the mother's mental disability." This IS the ugly side of having a family member like this.

There is a well meaning, but incredibly misguided movement in younger people to "remove the stigma" from mental illness. The movement began with, "hey, if you're feeling depressed, don't feel embarrassed or like less of a person for seeking help." but it's mutated into "my mental illness is a part of who I am and you HAVE no right to judge me." Some types of mental illnesses will always have an ugly side, that with time and lots of effort, and possibly medication, can be mitigated, but often can never be entirely fixed, and if you are a person that is suffering from one of these conditions, and you have the mental clarity to do so, it is your responsibility not to burden other people with your issues. I applaud the film not holding back punches in its portrayal of how this affected Elvie and her life.

So, at the end, when Elvie shows her bruises to the woman(I think she was some kind of child protective services equivalent?) I think it makes the ending at least land in the bittersweet zone, showing the Elvie is willing to take the first step cut the burden of her mother. It's NOT a happy feeling, it might haunt her forever, but it's a required step to liberate yourself from that heavy burden.

Some random odds and ends, EVERYONE had amazing performances, but it's always most impressive when a child actor shows a range of emotions they may not have even fully experienced in their life yet. Ylse Ringling deserves major props for her acting ability in this very intense and heavy film. Not to say anything less of the mother, as these type of movies can be bad about slipping into goofy portrayals of mental illness, but I never felt that in this movie, she felt like a well rounded human being that wasn't just her mental impairment.

Also, I appreciated the acting and writing of Luiz's mom. She could have been portrayed as outraged at Elvie's behavior with her son, but instead she is shown being compassionate and empathetic, probably sensing that Elvie desperately needed that in her life.

Long story short, if you like well made drama films with amazing acting I highly recommend this film. Also, Elvie is super cute and unique looking, so that also makes it easy to watch.

If you've read this far I have 2 questions:

What was the imagery at the end with Elvie waking up in the skeletal remains of some large animal? I know at the beginning of the movie she jokes about finding dinosaur bones, but obviously there wouldn't be a perfectly preserved ribcage of a dinosaur in the woods by her home? I thought it might be the remains of her pony Juliette, but it was way, way too big. Was it just supposed to be some kind of poetic imagery?

2nd question, did I see Luiz's mom and dad at the end when Elvie is told her grandfather passed away? They had already left from camping with their family, so I presumed they were far away and on vacation with their family. Is this a continuity error or did I miss something? I went through the entire IMDB cast and I didn't find anyone else that looked like her.
This scene: [Image]

[pillowbaker]

I've got a lot to say about this film and I am wondering if I can succinctly(edit:apparently I can't) express it without blabbering or forgetting details. Also, if you watched the movie and don't want to read the endless blab, I have 2 questions at the end about the film.

Firstly, this is a 5/5 film for me. Not just for FLM, but in general I think this may be at least an overall top 50 movie for me.

I wanted to say I really enjoyed and appreciated your post, marvingray, or at least what I read of it. I liked reading about how much you enjoyed the movie. I will certainly make it higher on my watchlist. Once I watch it, I will certainly come back to read your entire review. Had to avoid the spoilers for the moment.

[marvingray]

I've got a lot to say about this film and I am wondering if I can succinctly(edit:apparently I can't) express it without blabbering or forgetting details. Also, if you watched the movie and don't want to read the endless blab, I have 2 questions at the end about the film.

Firstly, this is a 5/5 film for me. Not just for FLM, but in general I think this may be at least an overall top 50 movie for me.

I wanted to say I really enjoyed and appreciated your post, marvingray, or at least what I read of it. I liked reading about how much you enjoyed the movie. I will certainly make it higher on my watchlist. Once I watch it, I will certainly come back to read your entire review. Had to avoid the spoilers for the moment.

Awesome, I'd love to hear what you think when you get to it. Very interesting and challenging movie. Sadly, I Read the actor that played the grandfather has passed away IRL after this film, I thought he had a really great role in this.