Helio The film portrays quirky characters realistically. The actors were convincing in their challenging roles. Some reviewers say it was about feminism but it was also about births, about death and lives inbetween and changes that occured over five generations. It offered the mystery of not knowing where the story would go next. Who is Fen-Shu to say men would not like it? It may be more accurate to say those with closed minds may not like it.

gavin6942 A Dutch matron (Willeke van Ammelrooy) establishes and, for several generations, oversees a close-knit, matriarchal community where feminism and liberalism thrive.Roger Ebert gave the film four stars, saying the film showed "the everyday realities of rural life, a cheerful feminism, a lot of easygoing sex and a gallery of unforgettable characters." Leonard Maltin called it "a treat from start to finish." This really is a "feminist fantasy". As others have pointed out, this film succeeds because it is pro-women without being anti-men. That is the real message of feminism. Unfortunately, the name "feminism" implies a women-centric view, but that was never the point. The goal was equality, and with this film ,we see what that might look like. At least in the Netherlands.

tenshi_ippikiookami This movie was a surprise. It all starts as an old woman sees that her last day on this world is coming, so she gets ready to say goodbye to all the women in her family (daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter). From that we go back to the past, to the moment she arrived back to her hometown with her daughter, and we see how they both grow old there, how their relationship with the other inhabitants develop and how they re-adapt to live in the countryside, in a very small village.The movie has hard moments, but also quite some funny ones, is quite smart and its characters are well developed. If it seems like a small movie, it may be, but it will grow on the watcher pretty fast, as you will get involved in the life of Antonia and all those that surround her. The actors do a great job and they bring a lot to the movie too.It will surprise you, it will make you laugh and, maybe, cry too.

palmiro One of those films that falls in the category of "a celebration of life" (films falling into this category are a sure bet for serious Oscar consideration for Best Foreign Film). This film annoyed me a bit because it seemed to suggest that happiness is to be found simply by cultivating our relationships to one another and keeping connected. But there's also a big wide world out there, beyond our little Dutch village, and it plays a huge role in our chances of finding some measure of happiness--and it's something we ignore at our peril. Best feature of this feminist fable was its immanentism: an absolute refusal to accept the notion that there is any reality beyond the sentient existence we experience as we pass through life--so that all we can know and enjoy and hope for is contained in the endless cycle of Birth, Love, and Death.