The film starts in the mid 80s during the terror of the still unknown Gang of Nijvel in Belgium. This gang committed very violent robberies on supermarkets with no focus on looting, but more on causing victims and chaos.
Instead of choosing the big take on this dark history, this movie follows a young victim and his grandparents (especially his grandfather). In this way, the movie can focus more on the very personal pain and the suffering from a terrible familydrama. Not only feelings of loss, but also anger for the injustice of the slobbing police investigation and no communication towards the victims and family. Director Stijn Coninx succeeded very well in making a deep-emotionally touching connection with the victim and his grandfather. We can feel the pain, anger, sense for revenge and justice from the grandfather. A sometimes intimate cinematography emphasizes this even more.
It takes a real effort to keep this sort of special emotional band with a character throughout the whole duration of a movie, but Coninx succeeded with is work. The whole movietheater was sileced by the end, a proof the movie delivered it's message and reached most of it's goal.
Instead of choosing the big take on this dark history, this movie follows a young victim and his grandparents (especially his grandfather). In this way, the movie can focus more on the very personal pain and the suffering from a terrible familydrama. Not only feelings of loss, but also anger for the injustice of the slobbing police investigation and no communication towards the victims and family. Director Stijn Coninx succeeded very well in making a deep-emotionally touching connection with the victim and his grandfather. We can feel the pain, anger, sense for revenge and justice from the grandfather. A sometimes intimate cinematography emphasizes this even more.
It takes a real effort to keep this sort of special emotional band with a character throughout the whole duration of a movie, but Coninx succeeded with is work. The whole movietheater was sileced by the end, a proof the movie delivered it's message and reached most of it's goal.