The evening boat-Island guests 2: The evening boat (2007)

Directed by: Karim Traidia | 90 minutes | drama | Actors: Liek Antonisen, Anneke Blok, Carine Crutzen, Achmed Elghazaoui, Pim Lambeau, Lou Landré, Clemens Levert, Marjolein Ley, Celia Nufaar, Gijs Scholten van Aschat, Soraya Traïdia, Steye van Dam, Katelijne Verbeke, Sascha Visser, Ellen Vogel, Bart de Vries

On the Wadden Island of Vlieland, four different stories are set in ‘The Evening Boat’. The stories are based on the book of the same name by writer Vonne van der Meer. Characteristic of her books is the realistic slant and the mutual relationships of the characters from her stories and the way of communication. Communicating in particular, or at least as often not communicating, is an important element in her stories. Incomprehension, lack of clarity, misunderstandings or simply not really knowing each other. It all stems from interaction with each other, emerging communication patterns and misjudging each other’s language.

Just like in the telefilm ‘Eilandgasten’, to which ‘The evening boat’ is a sequel, the visitors of the holiday homes Duinroos 1 and 2 are central. The four stories, four times the residents of a holiday home, are not connected to each other, and are not really interwoven throughout the film. This is unfortunate because it lacks a clear line and does not create a whole. They remain separate parts. This feels like a missed opportunity. The sum can be more than the individual parts. The themes in the four stories, on the other hand, are very good. Very recognizable, straight from life and interesting enough to follow. Almost all acting performances are good to very good. The rural environment of the island, the murmur of the sea, wind and weather, crowds and silence of tourists, it all fits very well into the different themes. They are used as background, but also used as metaphor. The pace in the film is slow and precisely because the stories are not connected either, you easily lose the feeling for the film as a viewer. Perhaps the film would have become stronger if not four stories had been shown, but if one of these stories had been worked out more deeply. Then the characters would have been given even more depth, so that the structure of the relationships is made more transparent. The variation in themes, types of families and relationships, among other things, must then be put on hold.

Even as a four-part film, the film is still worth seeing, especially because of the beautiful setting, the good acting and the recognizable, sometimes even somewhat emotional, themes. For some, ‘The Evening Boat’ will be a bit too slow and perhaps a bit too boring. For others, this film offers a nice picture of recognition and an opportunity for reflection.