Review of Ad Fundum

Ad Fundum (roughly translated: bottoms up!) is one of the last good Belgian movies and successfully presents human drama and emotions in an accurate setting. The film handles about the rites and `games' first-year university students undergo in order to become part of the exclusive group of adults …at least that's the explanation Campus leaders give to it. Like it's the case in reality, these rites are nothing but an excuse to drink and act filthy. A ‘nerdish'-student (excellently portrayed by Sven DeRidder) is the easy target of leader Tom Van Bauwel and quickly becomes the casualty of a deadly accident. Since the victim was drunk and none of the other students was capable of giving a truthful testimony, the leaders are set free. But…friends of the dead student have an appropriate act of vengeance in mind.

The plot may sound a bit exaggerated, but it's a lot more realistic than you might think. Certainly around here, in Belgium. Like the other reviewer mentioned already, the news regularly features stories about fraternity pranks gone wrong. The film Ad Fundum can depend on a solid Flemish cast and a talented director (Eric Van Looy recently became Belgium's most famous director because of `De Zaak Alzheimer…this is still one of his first movies). The lifestyle of Belgian youth is terrifically portrayed and cynically questioned throughout the entire film. And last but not least…like it's traditional in Belgian cinema…there are a few stylishly shot sex-sequences starring beautiful woman. Recommended!