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Again this year, Starz Denver Film Festival artistic director Brit Withey is offering his must-see picks for each day of the fest — including many flicks that movie lovers might otherwise miss amid the flood of silver-screen goodies.
Today, he shares his take on Resurrection of a Bastard.
Resurrection of a Bastard
Directed by Guido Van Driel
9:30 p.m. Thursday, November 7
SDFF Sie FilmCenter
“Every year, we feature a focus on a country,” notes Withey. “This year, it’s the Netherlands — and Resurrection of a Bastard is a Dutch film that really stands out.”
Withey describes the movie, which stars Yorick van Wageningen, who also appeared in The Chronicles of Riddick, as “a dark comedy — and even though it’s kind of an easy descriptor, it can be compared to a Tarantino film.
“The basic story is about a relatively brutal gangster who has a near-death experience that gets him to reevaluate his life choices, and he decides that perhaps he needs to become a better man. He chooses not to be such a jerk even if he continues on in the lifestyle he’s been living. He just tries to do things with a bit more pleasantness.”
The inherent contradictions in this goal “are pretty funny,” Withey points out with a laugh, and it’s got a sense of style that nods to two separate mediums. “The filmmaker, Guido Van Driel, wrote the story as a graphic novel that he’s adapted onto film.”
Look below to see a trailer for Resurrection of a Bastard, and be sure to visit our Show and Tell blog each day during the fest for more of Brit’s picks.
Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.
