Neighbor & Neighbor: Baking and grilling (2021)

Directed by: Marek Beneš | 60 minutes | animation, family | Dutch voice cast: Kees Prins, Siem van Leeuwen

Buurman and Buurman are already experiencing their fifth cinema adventure with ‘Buurman & Buurman: Baking and grilling’ (2021). The short films, with ultra-short cutscenes, lend themselves perfectly to the silver screen, as do the previous four films (‘Buurman & Buurman – Best friends for 40 years’ (2015); ‘Buurman & Buurman have a new house!’ (2018) ; ‘Buurman & Buurman: Winter Fun!’ (2018) and ‘Buurman & Buurman are experimenting with it!’ (2019)). The concept hasn’t changed that much: the two neighbors are still super inventive when it comes to coming up with a solution to a problem that would often be obvious to other people.

In ‘Buurman & Buurman: Bakken en grillen’ we see seven films, with the overarching theme of baking and grilling. Like many people in the summer, the neighbors like a nice barbecue, but in the case of Pat and Mat, as the animation heroes are called in their original Czech language, it is less simple than just lighting some coals and the meat on the lay a grid. Ordering a pizza is also a breeze, you might say, but when the pizza gets lost, the neighbors decide that they can easily build a brick oven themselves. In the living room. What could possibly go wrong? The baking part of the title is covered in the stories about baking bread and baking cookies. The neighbors find out that following the recipe ‘off-the-cuff’ leads to a different end result: they die in the bread dough and find a handy destination for all those loaves (which succeed, that is!). The same goes for baking cookies. Their perseverance is commendable.

One of the nicest films is ‘Pneumatic Post’ in which the modus operandi of the two friends is perhaps at its peak. The handy neighbors have to visit each other every once in a while to borrow tools and materials. That should be easier right? However, the basically good idea is ruined by their way of thinking, and while at the end of the film the solution is so obvious, they don’t see it. Well, actually a good thing: because of the crooked thinking of Buurman & Buurman, we are at least assured that the makers still have enough inspiration for subsequent films.

The eye for detail is great again, just like in the previous films: the neighbors’ houses are full of jokes, which makes you curious about the set. How did they put this together? ‘Buurman & Buurman: Baking and grilling’ is funny for young and old – thanks in part to the voices of the trusted Kees Prins and Siem van Leeuwen. The stories remain fun, because the neighbors always choose a different route than you would expect. Wonderful pastime!