On paper the story of Bride Flight might be told in 5 sentences but it's all executed in a convincing fashion with a keen and convincing eye for locale and historic atmosphere. The movie is about three women that fly to find their future in New Zealand in the fifties. On the plane is a man that will influence and tie their lives together in an unforeseen manner. The strength of the movie lies in the characters and the convincing way they are portrayed. Waldemar Torenstra is very convincing as the charismatic and Deanesque Frank that makes the other male characters (but not their performers) pale in comparison. Karina Smulders is delicious with her big naive gazing eyes. In fact the whole cast turns in solid performances and the young and old versions of the characters are very much in line with each other. All in all it's not an epic movie like "de Tweeling", director Ben Sombogaard previous movie, but it increasingly takes you by the throat as the story unwinds and relationships become clearer. A pity we did not see more of Rutger Hauer though.
31 Reviews
Great acting in great cinema
gunneman-119 October 2008
I saw the trailer of this movie several times and I just hated it. Bombastic overpowering music that overloaded my senses and gave the impression of an average movie. The complete movie is totally different and I loved every minute of it (all 130). The acting is subtle and strong and New Zealand provides a beautiful background for some amazing shots. The story has real power and all twists and turns feel very natural. You get a real good feel about all the characters involved and their motivations. They all evolve together to the end of the movie. Special mention for me are two of the main characters, Frank and Ada. The (erotic) tension between these actors is one of the most intense I've ever seen in cinema. If you like well told drama with great acting this is the movie for you. Forget the trailer, go to see the real thing!
Bride Flight
cartercrisp24 May 2011
Oh, what a tangled web we weave. But to how many webs do we belong? How many decisions were made outside our comprehension that changed the course of life forever? How many of those decisions became regrets? It doesn't really matter because yesterday happened, but it is interesting to consider the interconnected backstage of existence. And then tremble at the great unknown that is your parent's past. There's just so much we'll never know. And that's mostly OK. Bride Flight is a film that I admired because its leading characters were not only exquisitely defined, but their stories felt distinct and complete, almost separate within a greater whole. These people kept things from one another, and yet they were all so pivotal to each other. The dramatic irony fires on all cylinders. And the ensemble has absolutely excellent chemistry to pull it off. You never doubt the natural unfolding of events because every glance they give or catch is so engaging. New Zealand serves as a breathtakingly epic backdrop to this romance that jumps back and forth on a timeline much more gracefully than so many other examples. When it does jump back you start to become very happy certain rigid social customs have been left behind, and that's a testament to how fully yet subtly its realized. This was a pleasant surprise to watch.
old-fashion romantic melodrama
SnoopyStyle2 October 2016
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.
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.
In one word 'amazing'
riannelaros17 October 2008
This is a fantastic film. The trailer for this film tells of a passionate love affair between two people who can't be together. OK, the film is about these two people, but it is about so much more! The bond between these four people who met on a plane in 1953. The secrets some of them kept for 55 years. The expectations of starting a new life in a new country. And the scenery is amazing. I love New Zealand, and I thoroughly enjoyed the background in the film. I recommend this film to anyone. Although, fair to say, I guess it's more of a girl's film. It's an epic drama; there are no car chases or high tech gadgets. This is what a film is supposed to be. And the 130 minutes fly by! Also pay attention to the beautiful song at the end.
Simply Loved It
guidodanen26 November 2008
Normally I'm not a big fan of Dutch films, but when a friend of mine convinced me to see it and I actually saw the film, I was just blown away! Nothing like the usual Dutch films I was used too, it was way better! to start with the cast, in one word fantastic!! It was so refreshing to see other actors and actresses than we see in so many Dutch films. Waldemar Torenstra, Anna Drijver, Karina Smulders (and of course the other actors/actresses) were really at their best!
When I read the plot outline I was expecting some sort of chick-flick, but it turned out to be a story with much more depth than I was expecting. the way the story unfolds itself is very clever and Ben Sombogaart deserves a big compliment for this. Then the setting, New Zealand, is perfect for this story. The laid-back people in contrast to the strict catholic dutchies was very interesting to witness. and of course, New Zealand is a beautiful country which leads to great shots!
This all makes me very happy that I came over my prejudices and went to see the film! I wouldn't have wanted to miss it and I can recommend it to everyone!
When I read the plot outline I was expecting some sort of chick-flick, but it turned out to be a story with much more depth than I was expecting. the way the story unfolds itself is very clever and Ben Sombogaart deserves a big compliment for this. Then the setting, New Zealand, is perfect for this story. The laid-back people in contrast to the strict catholic dutchies was very interesting to witness. and of course, New Zealand is a beautiful country which leads to great shots!
This all makes me very happy that I came over my prejudices and went to see the film! I wouldn't have wanted to miss it and I can recommend it to everyone!
Touching and Mesmerizing!!
gdt0724 May 2011
Bride Flight is an absolutely beautiful movie that serves as a window into the lives of 4 people, and the connections between them after they met and bonded on a plane to a new start in New Zealand. Its a romantic drama that takes it beyond just the romance shared between two of the characters and makes it about the relationships these four people have with each other throughout their lives. It goes beyond a love story and makes it a story about life, the relationships we have with the people around us, the choices we make, and the regrets and satisfactions that come from those choices after we've lived out our lives and reached old age. I'm not really into chick flick love stories, but the fact that it is more about life in general and the outcomes from our choices made the movie a lot more relevant to me. The four principle characters are absolutely fantastic! Their acting is superb and each one of them makes you fall in love with them in their own unique way. The ending is emotionally touching as the three women look back at the man that changed all their lives in a way they never thought possible, and ride away together reminiscing on the lives they've lived, and their relationships together. It's absolutely touching and beautiful!
Disappointing, but worthwhile.
pietterbeek10 April 2009
The first twenty minutes I wondered which way this film was going, in more than one sense. The acting was not great, the dialogues where not convincing, the scenes in the plane where clumsy and Dutch international movie star Rutger Hauer's character died not long after the beginning. Honestly, with a few exceptions I am not very impressed by the Dutch cinema, was this another Dutch movie? Then the story started to roll and got me more in its grip. The acting was getting better, sometimes real good. What I think is a pity, is that the storyline is filled with flash forwards that do not add much to the story, which is all about the life of Dutch immigrants in New Zealand in 1953 and farther. The film could have been much better if the story was told chronologically and ended somewhere in the 70's or 80's. Now there are two actors for each character, and for me, also knowing the old respectable actors from the old days, this was sometimes quite disturbing. I found it hard to intermingle a character, I saw Willeke van Ammelrooy, not the character that grew old and looked little alike with the younger woman she once had been in the film. I had strongly the impression that the known actors where mostly used to put known names on the billboards. Their parts are relatively small and of little importance for the basic line of the story.
Solid drama about finding "home".
labrang22 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
After reading the previous comments from (mostly) Dutch viewers I feel I have to add some more. This movie has to be seen with the historic background in mind : early 50's in post-war Holland, the recent loss of Indonesia as colony, (war) broken families, and a recent flood disaster. There are a few references to these events. In this time a lot of Dutchies migrated to New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the USA (incl. my relatives). Young people wanting a new start, after the WW-II war. Some of them were born and raised in Indonesia, suffered from the Japanese camps, and when they were forced to relocate to post-war Netherlands after Indonesia's independence the Netherlands was like an unknown country for them. This movie's Frank is an example of such a young man. Lost and looking out for a new life, with no attachments to his "mothercountry".
All main characters have their personal baggage from these tragic events they experienced during their young years. Marjorie is a little of an exception to this. Which translates in the plot. The storyline really tells subtly and in complexity how this generation walked away from their past, leave it behind and looking out for a prosperous future in their chosen promised land.
I give this movie an 8 out of 10. Production is solid, as is the acting. Scenery adds up to this feeling of "promised land".
All main characters have their personal baggage from these tragic events they experienced during their young years. Marjorie is a little of an exception to this. Which translates in the plot. The storyline really tells subtly and in complexity how this generation walked away from their past, leave it behind and looking out for a prosperous future in their chosen promised land.
I give this movie an 8 out of 10. Production is solid, as is the acting. Scenery adds up to this feeling of "promised land".
Amazing movie!
Harald-at-IMDb27 November 2008
My wife lured me to this movie, she had the evening off and we wanted to do something together. In the theater I was the only male, the rest of the viewers were all women. But I did enjoy the movie. Great acting, the director took the time needed to build the atmosphere for each scene. I must say that sometimes the camera was too close. Very intimate. And also the twist at the end could have been somewhat more dramatic (although I cannot exactly say in which way). But it was enough to make me think about the story (stories!) the whole next day. I even decided to write this review. I agree fully with an other review, that the trailer does not reflect the movie: the latter is much more intense! and Ada, what a great actress Karina Smulders is, the stars came off the screen! The casting (two actresses for the young and old main characters) was also very good. I can recommend this movie to everyone!
Great Film
WilliamCKH7 March 2012
Although it took me two nights to view this film, I must say I was very satisfied with it at the end. The arc of the story, spanning over 50 years or so really was truly grand. The film touches on the many personal issues and emotions of its central characters, yet maintains a certain distance, careful not to have us rooting for or against certain characters, while showing sweeping historical changes take place in the background.
The cast is top-notch, especially Karina Smulders, who plays Ada Van Holland, a young, unwordly bride-to-be traveling, for the first time, from Holland to New Zealand. There is a natural, non self-consciousness about her performance that is very appealing. The other members of the cast are also very wonderful. Many flawed characters occupy the screen, but no one beyond redemption and forgiveness. The cumulative affect of the storytelling, between flashback and modern day, was, in the end, deeply personal, and awe-inspiring.
The cast is top-notch, especially Karina Smulders, who plays Ada Van Holland, a young, unwordly bride-to-be traveling, for the first time, from Holland to New Zealand. There is a natural, non self-consciousness about her performance that is very appealing. The other members of the cast are also very wonderful. Many flawed characters occupy the screen, but no one beyond redemption and forgiveness. The cumulative affect of the storytelling, between flashback and modern day, was, in the end, deeply personal, and awe-inspiring.
Melodramatic Movie with WWII and Holocaust Themes
socalgranny-3098211 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The movie was mildly engaging, especially the religious aspects where one of the couples in the movie belong to very conservative Dutch religious group and another is a Jewish Holocaust survivor who rejects her heritage somewhat. Overall pretty misogynistic since the career woman had to give up her child and remained unwed while the woman trapped in an unsatisfying marriage with a religious zealot has to strip and bare all as she commits adultery. The handsome guy, a vinter which is a big deal in NZ, who has flings with two of the women has a big funeral where everyone gets together and makes nice. At the end though, it seemed like I had wasted 90 minutes.
A New Land; Intertwined Fates
nahum24-765-8414641 June 2011
This is an absolute GEM of a movie that tells the story of 3 women and 1 man who meet on a flight as they are emigrating in the early 50's from the Netherlands to New Zealand, leaving behind floods and terrible economic conditions. Many of the women on this flight(like our protagonists) have already accepted proposals of marriage from New Zealand men whom they have not even met. These 4 actors embark on a new life; but as things work out ,their lives become intertwined in unusual and unimagined ways.As events unfold, we see the consequences of decisions, some of which should have been reconsidered and were not,some which could be renounced and were, and some which were allowed to play out with tumultuous results.This intriguing saga is at times agonizing,at times uplifting, at times poignant but always compelling. The actors are excellent and fully photogenic! If you are interested in a superb,engrossing and captivating drama, get on board,buckle up and enjoy the flight.
Rich character development, excellent plot and magnificent setting.
FilmRap4 July 2011
Warning: Spoilers
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
A beautiful story about life after WOII
rgiessen15 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This movie carried me away, to New Sealand. The scenery is beautiful en the story lines are intriguing. When the main characters are in the airplane, you don't know where the story is going, you don't know how it's going to develop. But when you see that they are all connected to each other, you begin to understand how it must feel to live in a country so far from your homeland, with none of your relatives en friends. The scenes with Ada en Frank together are beautiful and make you feel happy and sad all at once. I was touched by the sadness and the reality of making choices that you might regret. Ladies: go and see this movie!
Smaltzy soap opera, dripping with nostalgia
socalgranny-309821 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
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.
Finally saw it... and loved it
sljw-tlc24 May 2011
I have to admit the running time of the film was an initial turn off, but it was definitely worth every minute. I really enjoyed the structure of the film, going back and forth between present and past; it helped emphasize the lasting emotions that lingered from events that had taken place decades earlier. I also loved the way the characters' lives intertwined. I felt such a connection to the four main characters. The complexity of the roles they played in each others' lives tugged at me and took me on that emotional ride that you look for in a film. It was really cool to see such relatable characters dealing with so many tough decisions in such a realistic way. I would recommend this film 100%. Just make sure you set aside enough time to concentrate and enjoy the pace of the film. I, for one, will be setting aside some time to watch it again in the near future.
A story of three women and one man whose lives will be intertwined until the end.
riog-roberts24 May 2011
Going into the screening of Bride Flight, I definitely thought it was going to be a Dutch Notebook. However, I was quickly dissuaded from this notion not too far into the film. Bride Flight can easily be placed in its own category of an intelligent, romantic story. The complexity of each character's life makes you wonder which storyline is your favorite even if they all tie back to each other. The acting and plot line are strong and although the film is over two hours, I enjoyed every minute of it. I wasn't a huge fan of The Notebook, but this is a film I wouldn't mind watching multiple times, no matter how long it is. I'm hoping everyone involved in the process of this film appear in more films I can see in the States.
More Than A Love Story
rashan-dianne24 May 2011
This film is amazing! It is so much more than what it at first seems to be. It's a heartbreaking, intricate film reminiscent of The Notebook. The movie follows the lives and entangling love affairs of three beautiful Dutch women (Marjorie, Ada and Esther) immigrating from post World War II Holland to New Zealand, where their respective fiancés await them. They meet the film's heartthrob, Frank, during their immigration flight. As the plot unfolds, passionate encounters between these four complicate the lives of each character. Yes, this movie an epic love story, but it also captures the historical moment through careful filming and acting to match. Alluring, sensual, quiet and complicated, this film also takes a careful smart eye to watch. By its end, you are left with a smile and a heavy feeling that you've just watched something full of depth and meaning.
A Beautifully Told Tale
SkitzoJohnnyLuva24 May 2011
Normally I'm not one to watch romance films, but I got the chance to see this one and I am so delighted I watched it. First off the characters were portrayed excellently by the actors. I felt the young and old versions of each character were synchronized with their counterpart. I especially enjoyed Waldemar Torenstra as young Frank, he had a charm that all the female characters (and I feel the female audience) grows an attraction for. The scenery in New Zealand is beautiful and a perfect setting for an intriguing and timeless tale. The plot is full of twist and turns that are subtle yet brilliant, that keep you hooked until the end. Even though it's just over 2 hours, you don't notice. All in all a wonderful film that I can't wait to add to my collection.
Bride Flight
mdett24 May 2011
I thought this movie was very realistic and had quite an interesting plot line that kept my attention throughout the entire film. Bride Flight had even more of an impact on me because I am not familiar with those parts (or any) of Europe so the accents, dialect and culture were fascinating and edgy. Not the same old typical girl meets boy, boy falls for girl, they get married, the end. This film went above and beyond that plot and had many twists, which added to the adventure. I was entranced to the screen!
The flashbacks throughout the film kept things constantly changing which I liked cause I didn't get bored halfway through (ADHD). The film started out in the 50's era after the war which reminded me of the movie Pearl Harbor kind of and progressed through the lives of 4 characters that met on the plane. I would see this again and again as The Notebook foreign replacement. It was worth viewing. An added bonus- Waldemar Torenstra is a fabulous actor and also SUPER SEXY. I am in madly in love and would welcome him to perform in American films any day! :)
The flashbacks throughout the film kept things constantly changing which I liked cause I didn't get bored halfway through (ADHD). The film started out in the 50's era after the war which reminded me of the movie Pearl Harbor kind of and progressed through the lives of 4 characters that met on the plane. I would see this again and again as The Notebook foreign replacement. It was worth viewing. An added bonus- Waldemar Torenstra is a fabulous actor and also SUPER SEXY. I am in madly in love and would welcome him to perform in American films any day! :)
Masterful Past-to-Present-to-Past Transitions
grodemann24 May 2011
When I first saw this movie, I didn't come in with any expectations other than what a title like "Bride Flight" elicits. Which in as many words probably equates to Love Story On or around a plane. Which is true enough, I was actually surprised how short the time they spent on the plane actually was. Early on the inclusion of some actual footage of the time period explains purposely the concept of the movie, a small exodus of brides-to-be to new Zealand in a race to break a previous flight record. This movie takes that premise and turns it into so much more, the characters are so fleshed out. They each have their own past and views about what they want for the future, a future that we get to see at the beginning of the movie and intermittently throughout. I don't want to ruin the movie by going into detail about all the plot twists and turns you'll just have to go see it, but you won't be disappointed when you realize not everything is as it seems in the past or present.
Beautiful and bittersweet
amc2149024 May 2011
Brideflight is a well-rounded romantic drama follows the lives of Ada, Esther, Marjorie, and Frank as they find a new home in an unknown place. The film's namesake is an actual flight that took mostly soon-to-be brides from Holland to their fiancées who awaited them in New Zealand in 1953. While some were trying to leave something behind, they all meet up with challenges in their new home that shape their lives for better and for worse. It's a great film that is sometimes bittersweet and sad, other times very hopeful. It beautifully plays out a love affair while intertwining the lives of the four main characters, who each find their own way of coping with change.
Fantastic Film!
Vantheman179024 May 2011
I was fortunate enough to see a screening of this recently and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how incredibly crafted this film was. I had no prior knowledge of the film other than it being a Dutch film, which is what initially intrigued me. While the context of the story is set within post WWII Holland, the emotions and relationships extend to any culture. I found the acting to be very natural and convincing as well, especially by Waldemar Torenstra (Young Frank) and Elise Schaap (Marjorie). Ben Sombogaart does a good job of adding layers to each character's relationships as they grow through time. I'm not sure how much I can divulge but the use of wine as a metaphor was well done, subtle and pertinent. Overall, I would recommend this film to anyone. Its a wonderful drama that I'd put up against any of its kind, such as the Notebook or Atonement.
Great Film
brockwright8924 May 2011
Many people will call this film a chick flick, but coming from a guys perspective it was a great story to watch. Though some comparisons will be made to the Notebook, its story has so many more layers then the notebook that there should be no comparison to it. The stories presented in the film are not only more believable but stories that everyone can relate to because they may all happen to us sometime in our life. From a filming perspective I thought they did a great job balancing the different times in their life going back and forth without confusing the audience. Another great part of the film was how they took advantage of the amazing and diverse scenery of New Zealand. Anyone who was fans of the amazing cinematography of The Lord of the Ring trilogy will love the cinematography of this film. Anyone who loved Atonement will recognize with this film as well since it has WW2 sentiments and is a period. This movie will defiantly be a contender for the Best foreign film award this year.
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