SanEat
A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."
Ella-May O'Brien
Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
Roxie
The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
Oyster-6
Brings both a smile to your face as tears to your eyes. The raw humor portrait by "Simon" is balanced with the sincere emotions portrayed by the people around him.Where a few other Dutch movies tell the tale of a loved one being destroyed slowly by a disease of some kind ("Turks Fruit" and "Ik ook van jou") in a dramatic way, the movie "Simon" also touches you by the black humor that goes along with the tough struggle of not only the main character but also the people around him.Delicate themes like suffering from terminal cancer, euthanasia and (in a less impacting way in this film: gay marriage) go hand in hand with crude jokes about sex, flat-chested women and gay and racial jokes. Though the delicate line between authentic sentiment and cheap emotional effect is never crossed in neither the dramatic not the emotional side of the barrier.
Jonathan Fain
I like dutch films. I also like to watch half-naked Dutch women. However, the topic of the movie annoys me, since it is another euthanasia movie, and I am starting to lose tolerance for the topic as it was used too often this year. The year 2004, will be remembered as the "Euthanasia Movies Year". It started with the Canadian/French film: "The Barabrian Invasion", about a mischievous father who's dieing from cancer ("Simon" resembles this film the most). It continued in Hollywood with Clint Eastwood's "Oscar Winning Machine" called "Million Dollar Baby", about a female boxer who is mortally injured and wishes Clint to put her to "sleep". The Spanish director Alejandro Amenábar presented "The Sea Inside", about a man who sits in his bed for 26 years and wishes to die. I believe there are more films I haven't encounter yet. WOW! Overload... This topic is over-exposed, I would like to remind that there are other sentimental topics to make films about. Thank you, all you wonderful talented directors for making some very touching films, but the topic of Euthinasia has been covered enough.The movie deals also with the life of a gay couple and is presented maturely and modernly. I got the feeling that Dutch society is a very free society, maybe too free.7/10
dreighruhtra
This is not only the best dutch movie that I have ever seen, but one of the most moving movies that I have ever seen. Great picture of dutch society, on extraordinarily interesting people, full of great humor and sadness, and most importantly on life and death (parallel to the last two). This film is FULL in every way that a film should and can be. It is the heart-filling and heart-wrenching story of one of the most extraordinarily human lives (beautifully acted) ever put on film. It is about Simon, his fast life, his loved ones, and his chosen death. It is also about the truly free society, where all can choose their life and their death for themselves. It is a portrait of a culture of personal responsibility, love, and life that is so needed everywhere. It will make you think, laugh and cry. When and if you can, see this picture, you won't be disappointed. It's one of the greats.As the Tagline says: Simon will change your life.
Eelke Folmer
Some bad acting and bad casting of actors. Basically the movie is okay promoting and discussing some of the typical dutch controversial topics such as gay marriage, euthanasia, soft drugs.But controversial topics are not enough to make a good movie.The movie starts high paced introducing all characters of which some are very cool especially the character simon. But after 45 minutes it slows down and the movie becomes a bit boring then.The girl that was cast as the daughter of simon is not very convincing, she is supposed to be 18 but looks like 30 and talks like a 12 year old. Some character such as the boyfriend of the daughter of simon do not add anything to the whole story.
