Drift

I saw this film a couple of days ago and when I left the cinema it was hard for me to tell whether I liked the film or not. I did know that the acting qualities of the entire cast were amazing; especially those of newcomer Christel Oomen who played the role of Sammy.

While watching the film I immediately drew a comparison with the film American Beauty, but Drift is a lot darker than the former. While in American Beauty the characters try to keep up appearances, in Drift the characters have already come to terms with their situation. From the beginning you can feel the strange tension between Sammy and her brother and the complication it has on Sammy, who is on sort of a quest for love and tenderness, but constantly let down by the people around her. This is the case, because her judgment of people has not yet evolved enough. She is still very much a little girl, but has been given independence, while she was not ready yet. She is on the one hand physically a full-grown, sexual woman, but on the other hand an emotional child waiting for someone who gives her the compassion she is waiting for.

In the end I have come to the conclusion that Drift is an amazing Dutch coming-of-age drama and a must-see for everyone interested in the emotional growing of a teenage girl trapped in a difficult home.