Patrick (2019 film)
| Patrick | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Directed by | Tim Mielants |
| Written by | Tim Mielants Benjamin Sprengers |
| Produced by | Bart Van Langendonck Sarah Marks |
| Starring | Kevin Janssens Jemaine Clement |
| Cinematography | Frank van den Eeden |
| Edited by | Alain Dessauvage |
| Music by | Geert Hellings |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Countries | Belgium France |
| Languages | Dutch French |
Patrick (Dutch: De Patrick) is a 2019 Belgian comedy-drama film directed by Tim Mielants and starring Kevin Janssens, Jemaine Clement, Hannah Hoekstra, and Bouli Lanners. It had its world premiere at the 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it competed for the Crystal Globe, winning the Best Director Award for Mielants.[1] It received five nominations at the 10th Magritte Awards, winning Best Flemish Film.[2]
Plot
On the death of his father, Patrick is left in charge of his parents' remote naturist camp in the Belgian Ardennes. Patrick, socially awkward and withdrawn, has a neat and orderly workshop where he likes to make wooden furniture. After his hammer goes missing, his obsessive and methodical search of the campsite leads to a variety of encounters with the camp’s residents.
Cast
- Kevin Janssens as Patrick
- Jemaine Clement as Dustin
- Hannah Hoekstra as Nathalie
- Jan Bijvoet as Flik
- Bouli Lanners as Mon
- Josse De Pauw as Rudy
- Pierre Bokma as Herman
- Ariane Van Vliet as Liliane
- Frank Vercruyssen as Wilfried
- Jean-Benoît Ugeux as the retailer
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 87% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10.[3]
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described the film as "an enjoyable if self-consciously quirky black comedy,"[4] while Mark Kermode in The Observer referred to it as "A wry and oddly moving tale set in a world largely unencumbered by clothing, but riddled with intrigue, deceit, and the promise of self-discovery".[5] In The Hollywood Reporter, Boyd van Hoeij commented that, "As befits a film about nudists, Mielants treats all nudity with such nonchalance it becomes a non-issue after just a few minutes",[6] and Ian Freer from Empire magazine wrote that "Part mystery, part black comedy, part metaphor for loss, Patrick is a nakedly true original ... an offbeat delight."[7]
Among the few negative reviews, Kevin Maher in The Times described the film as "mostly glib and pointless".[8]
Accolades
| Award / Film Festival | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Globe Award[1] | Best Film | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Tim Mielants | Won | |
| Ensor Awards[9] | Best Film | Won | |
| Best Director | Tim Mielants | Won | |
| Best Screenplay | Tim Mielants and Benjamin Sprengers | Won | |
| Best Actor | Kevin Janssens | Won | |
| Pierre Bokma | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Ariane Van Vliet | Nominated | |
| Best Cinematography | Frank van den Eeden | Won | |
| Best Production Design | Hubert Pouille and Pepijn Van Looy | Won | |
| Best Costume Design | Valérie Le Roy | Won | |
| Best Editing | Alain Dessauvage | Nominated | |
| Best Original Score | Geert Hellings | Nominated | |
| Fantastic Fest[10] | Best Film – Next Wave | Won | |
| Best Director – Next Wave | Tim Mielants | Won | |
| German Independence Award[11] | Best First Feature Film | Nominated | |
| Golden Alexander Award[11] | Best First | Nominated | |
| Magritte Awards[2] | Best Flemish Film | Won | |
| Best Actor | Kevin Janssens | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Bouli Lanners | Nominated | |
| Best Production Design | Hubert Pouille and Pepijn Van Looy | Nominated | |
| Best Costume Design | Valérie Le Roy | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b Wiseman, Andreas (6 July 2019). "Karlovy Vary Winners: Bulgarian Pic 'The Father' & German Drama 'Lara' Win Main Prizes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
- ^ a b Dricot, Lucy (1 February 2020). "Découvrez le palmarès complet de la 10e cérémonie des Magritte du cinéma" (in French). RTBF. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- ^ "Patrick 2019". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (18 November 2020). "Patrick review – shocking grief and startling nudity". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ Kermode, Mark (22 November 2020). "Patrick review – wry, existential nudist comedy". The Observer. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ van Hoeij, Boyd (8 July 2019). "'Patrick' ('De Patrick'): Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ Freer, Ian (20 November 2020). "Patrick Review". Empire. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ Maher, Kevin (24 November 2020). "Patrick review — all the right tools but a botched job". The Times. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ "Dit zijn de genomineerden voor De Ensors 2021" (in Dutch). De Ensors VZW. 27 January 2021. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "2019 Fantastic Fest Awards". Fantastic Fest. 24 September 2019. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Patrick". filmfest-oldenburg.de. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.