a foursome in some beautiful remote countryside place?haven't i seen this before?well, browsed through all the 10 reviews so far, hoping someone has mentioned what i'm going to say but didn't find it ... except for one making a hint to The Dreamers by Bertolucci ... which is not exactly this really as there are only three people in that, two of whom a brother and a sister ... and like most Bertolucci movies, it's strongly politically inclined ... so, that's not one of the two movies with a similar theme i had in mind ...Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) is one of them though, which has a four-stars cast, all beautiful and handsome and super famous ... and the other's a movie i really wish to watch again but haven't been able to find because i don't remember its name, nor that of any of its actors (and it was either a late 1960s or early 1970s movie btw ...) i do remember that unlike this one that's rather an artsy movie, it was more a commercial product (with a strong moralistic message in the end) although still good and worth seeing ... and if i recall it right, it had a four-stars cast too ...anyhoot, why did i get into all the detail about the other two similar movies here? simply because i wanted to point out that from the VP of story, Amorous (Hide and Seek) is not a 'new' movie really ... but the way it is made (trying to be "artsy" as some have put it already, while also being low cost and indie) then this work is certainly very much different from the other two 'big production' cases just mentioned above ...and i have to say i did like this work but i do also find it a little lacking in some ways ... as well as a little confused ... for example, this could well be a nice little soft porn movie, but it's not ... or it could delve more into the innards of the characters, but it doesn't quite do that either ... so, it's kind of lost between the two worlds maybe ... and maybe that's what the director had in mind too? maybe ... maybe there's also a soft porn cut of this work in the director's personal archives just as well, you know, with its sex scenes in full ... maybe ...

Let's take a look at the positive. This is or could be perceived as a master class in acting. The movie itself seems to be free of restrictions (and clothes for that matter) and you should be aware of the nudity. There is no visible penetration by the way, but you do have male self pleasuring (explicit and vivid).Having stated that (in Germany the movie still got the 16+ rating), that should not play a role for or against the movie. The characters have issues which become even more apparent during a visit from the "outside". Their circle is clear and somewhat stagnant, this outside influence kind of gives the movie a bit of a new edge, but nothing that is sustained. We get back to the old "craziness". Which may be the point of the movie, but does not make it more attractive or viewers more excited to watch it (if you'll excuse the pun)

Joanna Coate's Hide and Seek is an ode to beauty. Grace is everywhere, whether it be in the cinematography, the story, the characters or the actors. The same way the characters in the film defy society by creating their own little utopia, the film generally defies our expectations regarding modern cinema. Coates has done away with the conventional plot. There is no beginning, no middle, no end to the story. She has done away with the socially-dictated faultless images of the body. Beauty in this movie can be found as much in its perfection as a unique picture, as in its deliberate imperfection.Constructed around the central themes of nature, boundaries of intimacy, social non-conformism and freedom, Hide and Seek will leave you reflective. In our busy lives, few are the times we allow ourselves to escape reality and question things society has taught us to internalize. Could we be capable of undertaking the protagonists' journey? Would we be willing? What do we owe society that we shouldn't just seek to create our own utopias?These are some pretty profound questions, yet there is something to be said about the softness of the film. A plot so uncomplicated, a setting so peaceful and stripped of business, the fact that most of the scenes happen in a small perimeter in and around the same house make for a pure, distilled, easy to watch film. Hide and Seek is a triumph of artistry in that it glistens beauty through simplicity, and perfection through difference.

I saw this film at the Film Fest Ghent 2014, where it was part of the section Global Cinema. To state my lack of appreciation upfront: I cannot find anything positive in this movie. The outset is not clear, and does not become clearer later on. Only those who have read the synopsis before, have a bit of a clue what it is all about. The evening games and their underlying rules remain unclear as well. Even more unclear is the purpose of the (home made) coffin that is set alight, a ritual that we see in the beginning with a repeat later on. Only one scene was interesting, viz. when a 5th person arrived (an ex-boyfriend). Much to his regret his ex-partner announced that she was much happier than ever before. Alas, the potential drama faltered and he left shortly after.I only understand half of the title. The word Hide seems a reference to being away from "normal" civilization. Nevertheless, I'm surprised about the amount of "bourgeois" stuff they obviously had available in that remote cottage, for example given the Christmas related attributes which they showed in much more variety than I ever had. Further, the word Seek is completely lost on me, be it that it may refer to finding a new future in living your life. This second part of the title promises that there is a message, a conclusion or even a morale, but I found neither.The 4 actors (plus 1 for a short time) did their best, and worked believable through their respective roles. Neither got the opportunity to reveal much of their background and expectations. And neither is there any drama on the table, except (see above) in one isolated case (which failed). They cannot show their strengths on those fields, but I don't think that is their fault altogether. In the final Q&A the question was raised how much of the action was improvised and what was rehearsed. Apart from that it was a bit of both, I did not hear a clear answer. So what is left to admire?? I observe only pretenses that this film will provoke thoughts about your own life as it is (but it failed miserably for me). Possibly I'm not the appropriate target group??