Rating: 
Summary: A Belgian Oddball Comedy/Drama about a Father and a Daughter
Review: One of the nominees at the Academy Award for Best Foreigen Film category, "Everybody's Famous" gathered considerable attention of critics, but at the same time divided their opinions. That is only natural because this Beligian film is too light-weight and predictable for all its charms and sentiments. So, which side you take totally depends on your feelings. The story is reminiscent of the underrated Robert DeNiro - Jerry Lewis comedy satire, "The King of Comedy." A Belgian father working for a bottle factory is desperate to make his 17 year-old daughter a star. But as the terrible performance at local talent show testifies, she is no talent (but she seems to have some potential, since she can really sing at a puppet show, without showing herself up before the audience). One day, however, an incredible chance visits him. He finds a super-star singer Debbie riding a bycicle alone on the road, and inspite of his better judgement, he kiddnaps her, to threaten the producer into making the much-coveted TV debut for his beloved daughter. After these initial events, there are some plot twists leading up to the final moment. I don't know how Belgian people reacted to the film, but I, being a Japanese, found the Flemish humors (if there are) very strange and unique. Of course, that depends on you and your culture, but maybe, I am afraid, during the process of translation we have lost many things. I suspect that, whatever the reason may be, it is nearly impossible for most of English-speaking viewers to seek for the kind of laughs you find in regular Hollywood outings. But you still can enjoy the film as it is, and the father's love for his daughter is a universal theme, which is possibly the best thing of "Everybody's Famous." The last sequence is certainly heart-warming, but I still am not sure whether I really appreciated the film in the right way. That is because the film's satires on show biz world and craze for 15 minutes celebrity are, for me, are too self-evident these days when we have so many "reality TVs" and instant celebrities around us. If only the director developed the initial premise, that's how I thought. The father is played effectively by Josse De Pauw, and also good is Debbie played by Thekla Reuten (if you are looking at a mysterious blue-haired girl on DVD jacket, that is her). But the father's daughter, key character of the film, is played by a newcomer (auditioned for the role, I read) Eva Van der Gucht, who clearly needs more training as a professional. She is no Toni Colette, who could have easily raised the credibility of the film several notches higher.
Rating:
Summary: A Belgian Oddball Comedy/Drama about a Father and a Daughter
Review: One of the nominees at the Academy Award for Best Foreigen Film category, "Everybody's Famous" gathered considerable attention of critics, but at the same time divided their opinions. That is only natural because this Beligian film is too light-weight and predictable for all its charms and sentiments. So, which side you take totally depends on your feelings. The story is reminiscent of the underrated Robert DeNiro - Jerry Lewis comedy satire, "The King of Comedy." A Belgian father working for a bottle factory is desperate to make his 17 year-old daughter a star. But as the terrible performance at local talent show testifies, she is no talent (but she seems to have some potential, since she can really sing at a puppet show, without showing herself up before the audience). One day, however, an incredible chance visits him. He finds a super-star singer Debbie riding a bycicle alone on the road, and inspite of his better judgement, he kiddnaps her, to threaten the producer into making the much-coveted TV debut for his beloved daughter. After these initial events, there are some plot twists leading up to the final moment. I don't know how Belgian people reacted to the film, but I, being a Japanese, found the Flemish humors (if there are) very strange and unique. Of course, that depends on you and your culture, but maybe, I am afraid, during the process of translation we have lost many things. I suspect that, whatever the reason may be, it is nearly impossible for most of English-speaking viewers to seek for the kind of laughs you find in regular Hollywood outings. But you still can enjoy the film as it is, and the father's love for his daughter is a universal theme, which is possibly the best thing of "Everybody's Famous." The last sequence is certainly heart-warming, but I still am not sure whether I really appreciated the film in the right way. That is because the film's satires on show biz world and craze for 15 minutes celebrity are, for me, are too self-evident these days when we have so many "reality TVs" and instant celebrities around us. If only the director developed the initial premise, that's how I thought. The father is played effectively by Josse De Pauw, and also good is Debbie played by Thekla Reuten (if you are looking at a mysterious blue-haired girl on DVD jacket, that is her). But the father's daughter, key character of the film, is played by a newcomer (auditioned for the role, I read) Eva Van der Gucht, who clearly needs more training as a professional. She is no Toni Colette, who could have easily raised the credibility of the film several notches higher.
Rating: 
Summary: "Lucky Manuelo!"
Review: What happens when a father's love for his child brings him to commit abduction? This Belgian film is an extremely accessible film as the themes are universal. A father has such strong love for his daughter, but his daughter sees him as unsupportive and his wife plays the middle of the fence. So, when he loses his job, he gets desperate and takes illegal action to get his daughter a record contract. But who is blackmailing whom? This film is extremely enjoyable with a similar flavor to the equally charming THE FULL MONTY. The DVD has very little to offer other than the widescreen film. Well worth the Best Foreign Film Oscar nomination from 2000.
Rating:
Summary: "Lucky Manuelo!"
Review: What happens when a father's love for his child brings him to commit abduction? This Belgian film is an extremely accessible film as the themes are universal. A father has such strong love for his daughter, but his daughter sees him as unsupportive and his wife plays the middle of the fence. So, when he loses his job, he gets desperate and takes illegal action to get his daughter a record contract. But who is blackmailing whom? This film is extremely enjoyable with a similar flavor to the equally charming THE FULL MONTY. The DVD has very little to offer other than the widescreen film. Well worth the Best Foreign Film Oscar nomination from 2000.
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