A Disappointing Continuation

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

The subjective camera or found footage has been over-used in the last decade, and I was hesitating to see the movie when it started because almost all the movies I've seen in that format from before 2001, are not successful in many different genres for so many reasons: the script, the genre, making it hard to watch because the camera moves too much, etc. However I decided to give it a go and I didn't regret it. In this case they made it work. All the movie you keep on wondering what happened between the characters when they were kids to make them act like that during the movie, and in my opinion, the relationship between the two main ones (brother and sister) is very well handled, with the ups and downs of painful and beautiful memories from childhood. Sometimes you hate a character, and suddenly you jump hating the one you liked better at the beginning, which I find really hard to do and something very well accomplished. The actors (all of them) are great. The movie touches taboo themes though so if you are weak of heart perhaps this is not going to be the best choice for you. Perhaps if I would have seen it when it was first released I would have given it a 9 but of course times change and it is not as actual as I guess it once was. Still, I would recommend it if you are searching for something different.

LITTLE SISTER (Robert-Jan Westdijk - Netherlands 1995).Hard to tell what makes "Zusje" work so well. The concept of the faux-documentary and the entirely subjective, mostly hand-held camera-work is both highly original and certainly something novel in the Netherlands at the time. Or is it the main role by Kim van Kooten, who is almost permanently on screen. Director Robert Jan Westdijk apparently auditioned over three hundred candidates for the main role, but none of them apparently had the right quality to express a certain kind of innocence when looking directly into the camera (which occurs a lot). After this endless search, Kim van Kooten - in her debut role - came up as first choice and she is a real find. She really is the kind of unpolished natural talent every first-time director dreams of.Through the subjective camera we're soon part of a voyeuristic and rather uncomfortable journey when we join video-obsessed Martijn (Romijn Coonen with the voice of Hugo Metsers III) who - after a long absence - decides to pay a surprise visit to his younger sister Daantje (Kim van Kooten) on her 20th birthday and starts filming her almost constantly. She is a design student in Amsterdam and seems quite tolerant of her brother's continuous presence while he obsessively intrudes her daily goings-on. Daantje engages in a turbulent relationship with Ramon (Roeland Fernhout) whose initial tolerance of Martijn - now entering his life as well - soon makes place for irritation. Through frequent flashbacks (grainy footage shot on super-8) we slowly learn some things about Daantje en Martijn's childhood. It becomes apparent that some uncomfortable unresolved issues still stand between them, but it remains unclear what their relationship was like when they were children. The very film we're watching is Martijn's documentary on his sister, but soon the tables are turned when all the footage he shot is stolen and Daantje starts taking some of her own measures to put Martijn in place.Practically the whole cast and crew was under 30 during shooting and the largely unknown cast of newcomers greatly attributes to the raw and fresh feel of the film. The verité style and dialog of "Zusje" might suggest a lot of improvisation during filming, but Robert-Jan Westdijk and Jos Driessen meticulously worked on the script for years, in order to make the film as authentic as possible. Everything, to the most insignificant details, was carefully prepared.In the Netherlands, the film was more a kind of cultural phenomenon than it was a huge hit in cinemas, but considering its micro-budget, the 140,000 sold tickets were quite OK. Despite this enthusiastic reception by the critics and public alike, it never really caught on in other countries. The subject matter was probably a little too edgy and uncomfortable for most audiences. Surely the breath of fresh air Dutch cinema needed.Camera Obscura --- 9/10

This movie took me by storm.This is a great movie about love between siblings.I loved it and I forgot everything else when I watched it. The theme for the movie is not common, and something like this just catches your attention by it's provocative nature.The filming is a bit of the Danish Dogma style, since most of the filming is made from the brothers hand-camera, from his point of view. It is all right, it does not disturb me, but rather gives it a documentary feeling.The script is very nice, and it is not that easy to figure out just what is coming to you.The acting is also very good. I love the actors. They play well, convincingly, and are charming in a natural way.I can only recommend this movie to all serious movie-lovers. Movies like this, that not only are not afraid of sensitive themes, but also dare to present them this beautifully, is the reason I love movies.

Kim van Kooten (Daantje) hated for a long time: everybody kept talking to her about that film even though she had starred in other films and had written several screenplays. Well, that's what happens when you play in a film as staggering as 'Zusje' (Little Sister).Ever since 1996 there have been many films with video or digital cameras, but Zusje manages to keep special. Here the camera is not just a toy, it's a main character (possibly even more the protagonist). The story of a troubled relationship between brother and sister isn't new (and certainly not in a Dutch film), but here the camera forces itself inbetween them as an instrument of Truth. All this gives you a weird feeling watching the movie (you're intruding Daantje's life much more than you want to), but there's a special atmosphere that manages to keep all the viewers watching (even those who saw the film on tv and missed the beginning).It's difficult to think of a movie that is more "in your face" than Zusje. It's hard not to see Kim van Kooten's talent in this film. It's hard to find a better Dutch film. Robert Jan Westdijk's later attempts at films got less excited reviews, which could remind us of the Orson Welles story. Still, Orson Welles Westdijk ain't and even if Westdijk turns out to be a "one hit wonder", that shouldn't keep you from watching Zusje.