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This movie features all kinds of controversial subjects, such as homosexual themed elements, euthanasia, soft drugs and basically everything in between. The movie feels like a random slice of life however and it doesn't try to preach with its controversial themes or be a clear tearjerker. It's a very humane and realistic made movie and that is what makes "Simon" such an effective and great one.
All sequences within the movie are actually quite short and you often have the feeling that some, if not all of the sequences could had been twice as long since there is so much to tell, also since the movie features so many characters, perspectives and and small subplots. Any other movie would had been twice as long, since it also would had been more consistent with the usual style of film-making and storytelling but "Simon" picks an approach of its own. I really liked this movie its approach from director/writer Eddy Terstall. It doesn't stick to a time-line that moves from A to Z but instead it often more skips a few letters and also jumps back a few from time to time. It isn't a movie that explains everything and things just happen as they do within this movie, just like in real life.
For a movie about such heavy and serious subjects, "Simon" is for sure a movie that picks a surprisingly light approach of it all. It's a movie that is not without its comedy and humor and this is foremost the reason why "Simon" is such a great movie to watch and helps to make it an effective one as well.
The movie of course is also being made great and realistic by its natural acting performances. Cees Geel plays a great, strong and unique character with slowly declining health. He's getting more and more sick as the movie progresses and it is done in a very realistic looking way. Most of the actors also seem to be improvising a lot during filming I don't no whether or not this was the case but it all feels very natural. I especially like the way Rifka Lodeizen handles this. Also Marcel Hensema in a big and important role (perhaps he can be seen just as much as the movie its main character as Cees Geel can) is really good in the movie.
Even though the movie handles delicate and tough subjects you don't ever have the feeling you're watching a tough and heavy movie. The movie features homosexuals, a sick person and many anti-social characters but yet you don't feel as if it are purely homosexuals, a sick person and anti-social characters you are watching. They foremost feel like real persons, with real emotions and other strong characteristics of their own. Because of this this, no matter how you think and feel about homosexuals and/or euthanasia, you will be grabbed and touched by this movie.
8/10
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