Ben X (2007)
Genre: Drama
Duration: 93 minuten
Country:
Belgium / Netherlands
Directed by: Nic Balthazar
Stars: Greg Timmermans, Laura Verlinden and Marijke Pinoy
IMDb score:
7,3 (19.753)
Releasedate: 26 August 2007
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Ben X plot
"Everything's dare"
Ben is different. His life is full of strange rituals. He seems to live in his own universe, more than half of which takes place in the world of online computer games. In the real, hard world of a technical school, life is a daily hell for him, with two guys making life almost literally impossible for him. Ben has a plan. A plan of one word: murder!
Actors and actresses
Ben
Scarlite
Moeder
Vader
Bogaert
Desmedt
Sabine
Jonas
Coppola
Ben - 6 jaar
Reviews & comments
Sergio Leone
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- 4430 messages
- 3110 votes
Solid.
On the one hand it is quite interesting how Ben's experience matches reality, on the other hand the whole bullying thing is too caricatured. The film loses some power in that. As a portrait of an autist I think Ben X is certainly successful, as a bullying story substandard.
The ending is also a bit too far for me.
The actors are doing quite well, although I think Greg Timmermans and the two bullies are miscast. 17-year-olds are pimply skinny chicks, not grown guys around 30. Laura Verlinden is always pleasant.
Nic Balthazar apparently hadn't directed another film yet. This can count as a debut. He immediately hands over his business card, although I occasionally find it too Flemish. It doesn't really impress me, there are too many jammers for that.
3
Translated from Dutch · View original
leatherhead
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- 3556 messages
- 1813 votes
Pretty retarded movie. Caricature, often tending towards an annoying form of effect and artificiality. Towards the end, the idiocy increases minute by minute. That whole feigned suicide plan, which Ben's parents coolly agree to; how on earth do they come up with something so stupid?!
Furthermore, an end scene with a slightly too thick layer of sugar. What do you want with such a shitty soundtrack. Strangely enough, I had also seen it coming well in advance that the presence of Scarlite turned out to be a mere illusion. I'm quite surprised to see many label it as 'surprising'.
That's a pity, because the form in which the film is cast looks beautiful, as does the ingenious way in which the virtual world has been integrated into Ben's reality. As far as I'm concerned, a film like this needs a somewhat more subtle elaboration, instead of this kind of blown out of proportion nonsense. 2.0*.
Translated from Dutch · View original
UmbraVitae
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- 4371 messages
- 4079 votes
Ben X - Ben nothing. Thought it was a very strong film at the time, excellent cast that delivers a top performance. Very empathetic with the character Ben. Telling acquaintances in between didn't bother here either, it was right. I also loved the ending. For the rest more of an anti Nic Balthazar, but this was a top piece of his.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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