Bride Flight (2008)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Ben Sombogaart

Writer:

Marieke van der Pol (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 October 2008 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The story of the women on the KLM flight that won the 1953 Air Race from London to Christchurch, New Zealand. |

Plot Keywords:

Funeral | Miscarriage | Baby | Female Nudity | Pregnant

Cast

Karina Smulders	...	Ada
Waldemar Torenstra	...	Frank
Anna Drijver	...	Esther
Pleuni Touw	...	Old Ada
Petra Laseur	...	Old Marjorie
Elise Schaap	...	Marjorie
Willeke van Ammelrooy	...	Old Esther
Rutger Hauer	...	Old Frank
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mykola Allen	...	Bobby
Walter Bart	...	Leon
Nathalie Brocker	...	Model
Jacques Commandeur	...	Old Derk
Benjamin Farry	...	Ester's Assistant / Lover
Roeland Fernhout	...	Pilot
Frédéric Frenay	...	Elder
Krystal Gebbie	...	Wedding Guest
Mattijn Hartemink	...	Hans
Kim Hermans	...	Ambulancier
Janine Horsburgh	...	Mrs Young
Micha Hulshof	...	Derk
Myranda Jongeling	...	Mrs. Doorman
Marc Klein Essink	...	Bob
Hans Man in 't Veld	...	Vicar
Rob Mokaraka	...	Mosie
Rawiri Paratene	...	Old Mosie
Jaap Spijkers	...	Reporter London

Also Known As:

Bruidsvlucht (Netherlands) (pre-release title)

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

Netherlands | Luxembourg

Language:

Dutch | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Luxembourg

Company:

IDTV Film

Quotes:

[after walking up a hill to their house Ada finds a horrible bunker]
Ada: It's a bunker...
Derrick: They were afraid of an invasion by the Japs. The land is owned by the county but the bunker is ours.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "De wereld draait door: (#4.110)" (2009)

A simple but solid and well acted drama with flair for locale and historic atmosphere.

On paper the story of Bride Flight might be told in 5 sentences but it's all executed in a convincing fashion with a keen and convincing eye for locale and historic atmosphere. The movie is about three women that fly to find their future in New Zealand in the fifties. On the plane is a man that will influence and tie their lives together in an unforeseen manner. The strength of the movie lies in the characters and the convincing way they are portrayed. Waldemar Torenstra is very convincing as the charismatic and Deanesque Frank that makes the other male characters (but not their performers) pale in comparison. Karina Smulders is delicious with her big naive gazing eyes. In fact the whole cast turns in solid performances and the young and old versions of the characters are very much in line with each other. All in all it's not an epic movie like "de Tweeling", director Ben Sombogaard previous movie, but it increasingly takes you by the throat as the story unwinds and relationships become clearer. A pity we did not see more of Rutger Hauer though.