Film Snail

The Brand New Testament
The Brand New Testament

6.7

The Brand New Testament

NR·2015·114m

Summary

God lives in Brussels. On Earth though, God is a coward, morally pathetic and odious to his family. His daughter, Ea, is bored at home and can't stand being locked up in a small apartment in ordinary Brussels, until the day she decides to revolt against her dad...

Cast

Pili Groyne

Pili Groyne

Ea

Benoît Poelvoorde

Benoît Poelvoorde

God

Yolande Moreau

Yolande Moreau

God's Wife

Catherine Deneuve

Catherine Deneuve

Martine

François Damiens

François Damiens

François

Serge Larivière

Serge Larivière

Marc

Didier De Neck

Didier De Neck

Jean-Claude

Laura Verlinden

Laura Verlinden

Aurélie

Romain Gelin

Romain Gelin

Willy

Marco Lorenzini

Marco Lorenzini

Victor

Johan Heldenbergh

Johan Heldenbergh

The Priest

Anna Tenta

Anna Tenta

Xenia, l'Allemande

David Murgia

David Murgia

Jésus Christ

Gaspard Pauwels

Gaspard Pauwels

Kevin

Bilal Aya

Bilal Aya

Philippe

Johan Leysen

Johan Leysen

Martine's Husband

Dominique Abel

Dominique Abel

Adam

Lola Pauwels

Eve

Sandrine Laroche

Sandrine Laroche

Catherine

Louis Durant

Louis Durant

Marc (9 years old)

Jean Luc Piraux

Jean Luc Piraux

Willy's Father

Anne-Pascale Clairembourg

Anne-Pascale Clairembourg

Willy's Mother

Alice van Dormael

Journalist

Caroline Lambert

Caroline Lambert

Journalist

Jérôme Varanfrain

Jérôme Varanfrain

Journalist

Aïssatou Diop

Aïssatou Diop

The Nurse

Armand Van Dormael

Le nongénaire

Viviane de Muynck

Viviane de Muynck

La mère de Georges

Pascal Duquenne

Pascal Duquenne

Georges

Hervé Sogne

Hervé Sogne

Le chef des loubards

Kody Kim

Kody Kim

L'homme qui vivra le plus longtemps

Besnik Limani

Besnik Limani

Le sans-papiers

Michèle-Anne De Mey

Michèle-Anne De Mey

Andrée

Jean-François Wolff

Jean-François Wolff

Médecin Willy

Norbert Rutili

Norbert Rutili

Le généticien

Luc Schiltz

Luc Schiltz

Médecin hôpital

Harry Cleven

Harry Cleven

Passant micro-trottoir

Jean-Henri Compère

Jean-Henri Compère

Musicien hélicon

Tom Audenaert

Tom Audenaert

Maquettiste

George Nixon

Clochard métro

Ivone Semedo

Maman hôpital

Christian Magnani

Christian Magnani

Publicité pompes funèbres

Tom Canivet

François (8 ans)

Clara Gunzig

La cousine de François

Agatha Eleanor Masson

La fille des Allemands

Nora Young

Nora Young

Aurélie enfant

Anne-Marie Loop

Anne-Marie Loop

Femme wasserette

Fabien Zeimes

Jean-Claude enfant

Gabriel Boisante

Gabriel Boisante

Ambulancier

Charlie Degotte

Professeur de hockey

Thérèse Kobankaya

Prostituée

Diego Dalmans

Le fils de François

Hannah Gunzig

Hannah Gunzig

Petite fille boulangerie

Eiaël Lefranq Binon

Willy (6 ans)

Nora Alberdi Perez

Nora Alberdi Perez

Danseuse main

Kiko Mirales

Le gorille

Tanguy De Backer

Tanguy De Backer

Sans abri devant l'église

Elsa Houben

Elsa Houben

La fille du coiffeur

Julien Jakout

Julien Jakout

Pianiste sur la plage

Cyril Perrin

Cyril Perrin

Doublure lumière Benoît Poelvoorde

Jaco Van Dormael

Jaco Van Dormael

L'automobiliste qui n'a plus que 0 seconde à vivre

Elisa Echevaria Menendez

Elisa Echevaria Menendez

Kathy

Crew

Director, Screenplay

Jaco Van Dormael

Screenplay

Thomas Gunzig

Reviews

Rangan

Rangan

June 24, 2016

6

> Re-editing the god's creation.

I was looking forward for this since it was from one of my favourite directors who is a very unique storyteller. This is a fantasy and a black comedy from Belgium that was chosen to represent the country in the last Oscars. This is where the critics overtake the film fanatic to like it more. It is a theme that revolves on what would you do if you get a power to write the laws of the nature. A complicated topic, because loopholes are inevitable, but the writer and director did not care much about that and narrated the tale what they just wanted to tell.

The story centres on an arrogant and abusive father who is also the creator the universe, especially the designer of the lives on the earth and this tale takes place in the Belgian capital, Brussels. When his bored and concerned daughter Ea, runs away from home to re-edit his creation as advised by her brother JC, he goes after her to ensure everything stay as he had planned. In an unexpected confrontation between father and daughter, in the end who is going to be victorious is the rest of the narration. Remember, there is a post credit scene, which opens the door for a possible sequel, but I don't think that'll happen.

> > "Giving men knowledge of their own death... Crazy!"

It was a beautiful concept, but I don't think I liked the entire narration, though some of the parts were very interesting. Since it was a fantasy, logics are not required, but the lack of the basic explanation was the setback if you're a broad minded. This film is for the simple minds, especially after knowing the theme you should not anticipate a genuine tale with great adventure and stunts, particularly not visual extravaganza. It was kind of a drama-adventure, something like entering the world that created by you and experiencing all by yourself the positives and negatives of it.

Somewhat it was a fun, so definitely not a bad film, but I felt it should have been a lot more than that. Kind of a missed opportunity and falls into a simplicity. All the actors were good, especially the little girl. But I think it's not suitable for the children on the ground of a film character who is associated with sex related stuff, hence it got a few brief nudes.

The God character was awesome, even though his acts are predictable I enjoyed the comedies delivered by him. The Ea's undertaking was more a serious and which tries to relate with the Chritianity, especially 'The Last Supper' after her decision to help a few selected people down in the earth over billions. All the above it was barely a magical film, so that's where you've to compromise than to expect crazy stuffs out of it. So in my opinion, it was not delightful as it looks nor the best work of this talented director, but a decent 2 hour long film.

6/10

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

French

Budget:

$8,700,000.00

Revenue:

$15,709,652.00

Keywords

surreal
god