Siberia (1998)

The film follows the lives of two young Dutch hustlers, Hugo and Goof, who inhabit Amsterdam's backstreets, getting stoned and preying on female backpackers for fun, thrills and self gratification.The youths are 100% anti-heroes; their hustle is to seduce female tourists into bed and then steal their cash. However, the pair have a sick 'game' going on between them too - that is to rip-out a page from the girls' passports so to prove to one and other that they have made a sexual 'conquest'. A wall in the apartment they share is plastered with passport pages - without regard for the problems they cause to their unsuspecting 'victims' by depriving them of their official documentation.The film is a fast moving black-comedy urban drama. It is very much in the style of "Trainspotting" and "Run Lola Run", accompanied by a heavy dance soundtrack and many moments in the film feel like a music-video, to very good effect. It is merry-go-round ride through a dangerous cityscape of naive fun-seekers preyed on by scumbags - but it somehow retains its comic edge, even though the storyline is dark, the activity not humorous nor admirable. This is because we see the story through the eyes of Goof and Hugo, and as such the movie works on this level - for had it been through the eyes of their 'victims' then it surely would have been a very different film.As Hugo and Goof continue their deplorable 'game' and are in effect just a pair of low-life wasters dressed in trendy clothes, Lara, a Russian girl, comes in to their lives - and everything changes for them! Lara is equally as deviant and manipulative as both of them. Goof quickly falls in love with Lara and Hugo becomes jealous and fearful of the danger she poses to the dynamics of his best-friendship, partner-in-crime relationship with Goof.As the boys relationship begins to crack, they begin to distrust each other - and Lara works out what their 'game' is and what their hustles are. She has hustles of her own and can navigate her way round the Amsterdam 'backpacker underworld' as easily as they can. A disastrous love-hate triangle then develops and reaches break-point consequences after Hugo rapes Lara - to 'prove' himself the dominant personality and take her as his own 'conquest' - and Lara then seeks vengeance on the pair climaxing in the story's edgy, fast paced finale.

The plot sounded interesting, but it really was hard to like it because of these two losers. I found you couldn't identify with the characters at all. A rather empty story, a movie that tried to be cool, but failed. Rent only if there isn't anything else available.

This is a surprisingly good movie from the people who brought us the Dutch movie Zusje. Although Zusje was a big hit (especially for a Dutch movie) in the Netherlands, this film has had a short cinema rotation due to lack of success. I wonder why. To me Siberia is as good as the first film by Westdijk. Reading the plot makes you wonder if there's any plot at all. The basic story of Siberia seems a bit simplistic at first: two guys (Hugo and Goof) get their kicks from sleeping with female tourists and robbing these girls from their money and passport the morning after. When they meet Lara from Siberia their lives change and their friendship is put to the test. This may seem quite a standard tale, but it's not because of the way the story is told. In it's dynamics and sound it's a bit similar to Lola Rennt: a lot of camera movement, thundering beats in the exiting soundtrack by Junkie XL and as a viewer you can feel the adrenaline as if you're in the movie too. There are blurry black & white shots to make several scenes even more intense. This is one of those movies that have a look and feel of a music video with the way it's directed, but it only accentuates the emotions and actions in Siberia. And although the idea is not knew, Siberia is intriguing and fresh. The acting is terrific and the dialogs are great and sometimes very funny (Hugo gets dressed in the morning after sleeping with a tourist girl, when the girl wakes up: "Hugo?..." "Yes, I Go", Hugo replies). Warning: the film has a very nice ending, after it seems to have ended...!!!Definitely 9 out of 10 for me.

I did like this movie. Mostly because it is just much fun and very recognizable, mainly becuase it plays in Amsterdam, where I live. But it is more than just a fun movie. Although it isn't brilliant, it is good enough.A feel good movie which makes you glad to live in Amsterdam, glad you are not a tourist here!