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Ard Vijn
Tomatometer-approved critic
Ard Vijn joined ScreenAnarchy.com in November 2006 (it was named differently then), promising its founder Todd Brown to share information about the Dutch film industry. Instead, he focuses on cinema from all over the world, and Japanese animation in particular. A few times each year, he gets the chance to score some real scoops, most often during the International Film Festival Rotterdam. He juggles his time between his wife and two sons, a career as an IT-landscape manager in a big oil company, writing about films, and actually seeing films.
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Joram (2023) |
Manoj Bajpayee is fantastic as Dasru and effortlessly sells the man's desperation as a father trying to keep a baby alive and well, but he is also a believable strongman... - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Nov 03, 2023
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Dark Satellites (2022) |
We as humans need other people. But that point has been made in plenty of other films as well, and many of those will get that across without having to hammer it home. If seeing people wallow in misery is your thing, rejoice, this is the movie for you. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Nov 03, 2023
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Sira (2023) |
The evildoers do not get portrayed as stupid caricatures, their deeds are attributed to a confused mess of faith and adherence to tradition. It makes the film more suspenseful, the danger believable. And when all hell breaks loose it looks spectacular. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Nov 03, 2023
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The Taste of Things (2023) |
The ex-couple sparkle when on screen together, and the years of intimacy with ups and downs between the two characters they play are instantly believable. Their shared love for food and friendship for each other feel real. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Nov 03, 2023
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December (2022) |
There are numerous pitfalls such a film can fall into, from the overly sentimental to the depressing, to the ridiculously uplifting. Director Chauhan veers close to them all but manages to avoid fully falling into them too. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Nov 03, 2023
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New Religion (2022) |
At the end, there was plenty to discuss with the people I saw it with. Is this a classic? No, but if Kondo Keishi ends up making classics, New Religion will go into history as the very promising debut which foretold this. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Oct 13, 2023
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Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom (2022) |
Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom is a fun enough film, beautifully animated and with several laugh-out-loud moments. But its dependency on tropes works against it, and the ending is so sweet it may damage the enamel on your teeth. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Oct 09, 2023
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Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis) (2022) |
It should not be a surprise that as a subject for his first documentary film, the Dutch director chose a legendary design studio known for iconic sleeve art. What may be surprising is how enjoyable and generally light-hearted the end result is. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Sep 26, 2023
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Exhibit #8 (2022) |
In Exhibit #8, the found footage aspect is an integral and even necessary part of the story. It's easily one of the best recent found footage films, and shows fun and surprises can still be had within this sub-genre. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted May 03, 2023
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Unicorn Wars (2022) |
Those who think they're in for a fun evening of gory shenanigans, Happy Tree Friends style, will not be disappointed. But they may be caught off guard by the film's excellent art direction, its building of dread and the telling of a unique mythology. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Mar 24, 2023
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Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo (2012) |
There are a few spectacular sequences worth watching, but with neither cause nor effect there is very little to recommend here. Do note that opinions are divided on this. So if you are an EVA fan, do check this one out for yourself. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Mar 10, 2023
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No Dogs or Italians Allowed (2022) |
No Dogs or Italians Allowed is, in short, excellent. I would advice anyone with an interest in history to give it a look. On top of its narrative merits it is also an interesting show of workmanship: Alain Ughetto shows fantastic use of puppetry. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Mar 10, 2023
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Love According to Dalva (2022) |
Dalva is the best drama I have seen in years, hands down. It tells respectfully and clearly about a difficult subject, and all pitfalls are avoided. No easy lynchmobbing, no unpalatable sensationalism. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Mar 10, 2023
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Fairytale (2022) |
You might wonder if Fairytale might not have worked better as a short. It is, however, what it is, and it is 100% a Sokurov film. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Mar 10, 2023
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INU-OH (2021) |
This is maybe the finest work Yuasa Masaaki has done in the last decade, and it has so much of animation's ability to produce a cinematic breeze of fresh air. I love it unreservedly and hope to be able to revisit it many, many times. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Mar 10, 2023
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They Say Nothing Stays the Same (2019) |
I do not want to spoil the film by telling too much about what happens, or raise expectations too high for those who seek it out. But to me, it was a great surprise, one of my favorite cinematic experiences of the past few years. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Oct 27, 2022
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Revenge Ride (2020) |
There are interesting topics briefly mentioned but then abandoned, and it does the central story no good. Neither does Revenge Ride bring any strong messages, except that hate won't solve everything, yet that it's always fun to beat up a rapist. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Oct 12, 2022
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The Great Yokai War: Guardians (2021) |
Effects are all over the place, from fake-looking to fantastic, but the sheer amount of cool creatures subdues any criticism. I mean, going in you know what you want to see, and The Great Yokai War: Guardians gives it, in spades. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Oct 12, 2022
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Crabs! (2021) |
If you're up for some jolly fun, with gore and groans and gummy-looking monsters, there is no denying Crabs! does provide all that. And at 80 minutes the film does not outstay its welcome. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Sep 02, 2022
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Set Me Free (2014) |
Set Me Free is an impressive look at the plight and confusion faced by many foster children. Not spectacular in the events depicted, perhaps, but the more heartrendingly real because of it. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jun 09, 2022
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Jurassic World Dominion (2022) |
In the end, it is what it is. If you want dinosaurs, chases and familiar faces, Jurassic World Dominion delivers. If you want some spice, blood and surprise, you'll have to look somewhere else. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jun 04, 2022
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Inexorable (2021) |
You can't help but wait until Inexorable turns into something special, and while it's definitely well-made, it never does that. When du Welz manages to insert an original scene, it livens up the film, but unfortunately there aren't many such moments. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Mar 01, 2022
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Freaks vs the Reich (2023) |
Gabriele Mainetti's new superhero film is delightful and spectacular, a deserved crowdpleaser. For me, this was the most beautiful film I've seen at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, grand entertainment, and I recommend it highly. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Feb 21, 2022
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Nowhere Girl (2015) |
Oshii Mamoru has made a film which is mostly for himself, treading ground he has covered before in other (and sometimes better) films. But as his reality-addled puzzles go, this one is actually pretty straightforward, and not too hard to solve. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Feb 15, 2022
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Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance (2009) |
It is a fever dream for sure, but one that has been lovingly embellished with details and technically polished until it has become its own weird-yet-beautiful thing. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 09, 2022
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Kill Mode (2019) |
Still, there are plenty of fun bits, you get to see Batelaan as Molly again, and in the film's start you get treated to a crazy point-of-view shot which invites a few replays. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 05, 2022
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Mandibles (2020) |
With its short length, the film manages to reach the finish well before its welcome runs out. And a moral? Nah. Absurd dumb fun may still be dumb fun, but it's also still fun. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 05, 2022
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Riders of Justice (2020) |
It is very good and sells the point that acceptance and friendship provide the most solace. And hey, if someone is beyond repentance, you can always put a bullet in his head. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 05, 2022
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The Colony (2021) |
It never elevates above decent, and for me it misses the spark, the original jolt, a few crazy details even, which make classics out of small science fiction films like these. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 05, 2022
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Poupelle of Chimney Town (2020) |
Its characters are likeable, the art is often amazing, several emotional scenes fall on the right side of sentimentality, and the end result is often a delight to watch. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 05, 2022
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Absolute Denial (2021) |
As it is, it's interesting rather than great, but it's very cool to see someone make an animated film like this on a shoestring budget, and the pluses outweigh the minuses. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 05, 2022
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Cryptozoo (2021) |
If you can appreciate the artwork and soften toward its good intentions, you're in for a treat. If not, well... at least you can't deny it was special. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 05, 2022
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Dead & Beautiful (2021) |
Rotterdam audiences liked the film as well and awarded it a mean score of 8 out of 10. Me, and the people I saw it with, considered it to be the best of this year's festival. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 05, 2022
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In the Shadows (2020) |
A slow film for sure , but at 94 minutes it doesn't outstay its welcome either. And if you like your science fiction drama dystopian, it is very much worth a watch. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 05, 2022
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Cross the Line (2020) |
It's refreshing to see something this well-made, straightforward rather than formulaic, flashy yet rooted in reality, and without any groan-inducing flaws or inconsistencies. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 05, 2022
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EVANGELION:3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time (2021) |
I need to hand it to Anno Hideaki: sometimes, the only way to close an opened can of worms is by sealing it inside a bigger can. And with this finale, he did exactly that. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 05, 2022
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Law of Tehran (2019) |
The film starts with a chase which would not be amiss in any American thriller, and a search in a slum built entirely out of sewage pipes is a visually jaw-dropping sequence. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Mar 18, 2020
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Saint Maud (2019) |
Jennifer Ehle is great as Amanda, but the film leans fully on a fantastic performance by Morfydd Clark as Maud. Not a moment passes where you do not feel for her. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Feb 27, 2020
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Children of the Sea (2019) |
Watanabe Ayumu's newest anime feature is beautifully drawn and features a rousing score by Joe Hisaishi, but the spectacle trumps the plot. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Feb 26, 2020
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Parasite (2019) |
Bong hoped to give his film a classic sheen by creating a 'b&w' version. He needn't have done this: with or without color, Parasite will certainly be classic enough. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Feb 20, 2020
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Mosquito (2020) |
Shot on location in Mozambique, Africa is a magnificent backdrop in which Zacarias and his "mission impossible" become ever tinier. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 29, 2020
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The Banquet (2006) |
I will grudgingly forgive bad logic or holes in a screenplay if there are enough pretty pictures to offset this, so for me "The Banquet" delivers in spades. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 24, 2020
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Daisy (2006) |
So would I recommend this movie to others? Maybe, depending on taste. But I, being Dutch, will treasure this in my collection as an interesting bit of curiosa. I'll end as the movie does: FLOWERS! - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 24, 2020
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Princess (2006) |
All in all I am very impressed with the command and restraint Anders Morgenthaler shows with his movie. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 24, 2020
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The Lives of Others (2006) |
The actors are marvelous, with special mention of Ulrich Muhe who plays Wiesler. He gives a chilling portrayal of a man reluctantly driven to something approaching heroism. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 24, 2020
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Yeui-eomneun geotdeul (No Mercy for the Rude) (2006) |
A fun movie although as it turns out Park Chul-Hee was right with every word in his introduction. I wouldn't go so far myself to rate this above "The Host" or "Exiled" but it's surely an easy movie to like. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 24, 2020
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Antonia (2006) |
The story doesn't break new ground but it also avoids most cliches. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 24, 2020
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(undefined) |
Watching an emotionless person zombie-ing uncaringly through a silent and empty world gets mighty boring after a while. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 24, 2020
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Viva (2007) |
The result is very praiseworthy and each shot in the movie can be framed as a poster. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 24, 2020
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Days of Glory (2006) |
As a war movie "Days of Glory" is competent although not extraordinary. But if you like war movies you'd be crazy not to watch it. - ScreenAnarchy
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| Posted Jan 24, 2020
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