Cordon

Cordon is my latest obsession. (It seems I go through a new obsession every other week or so.) I picked up the dvd when I was last in Antwerp and was so thrilled that it came with English subtitles. The story is about an outbreak of an unidentified and fatal virus in a section of Antwerp. To keep it controlled, the government has cordoned off the section, blocking it with shipping containers, which frankly I found to be completely terrifying.

I absolutely adore the aerial shots of the city and the cast is top notch. The two lead actors within the cordon are Wouter Hendrickx (total bad-ass name) who I loved in Brasserie Romantiek and Veerle Baetens who I previously saw in The Broken Circle Breakdown, Loft, Dennis van Rita, Het Vonnis, Zot van A., and will watch her next in Code 37. Other familiar faces are Tom Dewispelaere from Linkeroever, Mathijs Scheepers who was that louse George in De smaak van De Keyser and an endearingly (is that a word?) shy and sweet Walter in Brasserie Romantiek, and Tibo Vandenborre from Bullhead, De smaak van De Keyser, and De Behandeling. In addition to the aforementioned peeps, this show also stars Koen De Bouw, a man that has been in everything - Loft, Shades, Het Vonnis, Brasserie Romantiek, Los Zand, De zaak Alzheimer, Stille Waters, Smoorverliefd, and Dossier K. to name a few. (And who knew that this clean cut gent could play a creepy ex-con so well - I'm super impressed, sir!) But the main reason I wanted to see this was for Geert Van Rampelberg. I love that fella and he was so good in Swooni, De Behandeling, Broken Circle Breakdown, De zaak Alzheimer, Tot Altijd, and after Cordon I have Code 37, Clan, and Image lined up. Sorry to inundate youse with a million unfamiliar names and movie titles, but Belgium has produced a plethora of truly phenomenal actors and if I can persuade even one reader to seek out these films, I will feel triumphant!

(photos kidnapped from cineuropa and dekrantenkoppen respectively.)