Morlang (2001)

56% of critics liked it
(9 reviews)
33% of users liked it
(438 ratings)

Everything seems to be going right for Julius Morlang (Paul Freeman, best-known as the villainous Rene Belloq in Raiders of the Lost Ark). He lives with his beautiful young girlfriend, Ann (Susan Lynch of From Hell), in a lovely cliffside home on the Pacific coast of Ireland. His once-stagnant art… More Everything seems to be going right for Julius Morlang (Paul Freeman, best-known as the villainous Rene Belloq in Raiders of the Lost Ark). He lives with his beautiful young girlfriend, Ann (Susan Lynch of From Hell), in a lovely cliffside home on the Pacific coast of Ireland. His once-stagnant art career is undergoing a resurgence and his agent (Eric van der Donk) tells him, "You seem a little happier. It's in your work." But things begin to fall apart when someone breaks into his home and ransacks it, leaving a cryptic message. Through flashbacks the audience discovers the truth about the death of Ellen (Diana Kent), Julius' wife of 15 years. Julius soon finds his new life with Ann threatened by a malevolent figure from his past. The basic premise of Morlang, Tjebbo Penning's directorial debut feature, was inspired by a television news story. Penning's film won awards for Best Lead Actor (Freeman) and Best First Film at the 2001 Cairo International Film Festival. It was also shown in competition at the 2002 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Tjebbo Penning
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Dec 12, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Jan 1, 2005
Studio: Film Movement

Critic Reviews

Megan Lehmann, New York Post
Penning, who also co-wrote the script based on a real-life scandal from the Netherlands, tangles up his timeline so thoroughly that any suspense is strangled out of the story.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
Chilly, slow, absorbing.
David Ng, Village Voice
A murder mystery so artfully restrained you almost expect Diana Rigg to deliver a witty epilogue.
Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times
Straining for emotional intricacy, the film's structure simply isn't strong enough to support its aims.
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
A portentous and goopy Dutch drama, in which the holy agony of creative expression is accompanied by plinky music, and the wild Irish countryside is always kissed in mist.
Marta Barber, Miami Herald
An engrossing psychological thriller.
James Verniere, Boston Herald
Spins a tangled web of adultery, betrayal and professional and personal jealousy in the heady world of European high art.
, E! Online
Without enough suspense, surprise or engagement, this pretty-as-a-picture piece feels as flat as one of Freeman's paintings.
Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly
Morlang has surprises up its sleeve that even the seasoned genre fan may not see coming.

Read all 9 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Mark A

Sad story about a man whose art was more important to him than relationships. Betrayal, revenge, and hidden emotional landmines combine to make this hard to take. The back and forth story telling made it dificult to follow and this viewer found it extremely difficult to piece together… More
Sad story about a man whose art was more important to him than relationships. Betrayal, revenge, and hidden emotional landmines combine to make this hard to take. The back and forth story telling made it dificult to follow and this viewer found it extremely difficult to piece together the whys. Why does he push his wife into the arms of another man and then punish her for the consequences? Why does she go along with it when she obviously does not want to. Why does he decieve her and make the ultimate betrayal? And why did the authorities never question the suspicious nature of her death? This was all based on true events, so I suppose the film-makers had to be faithful to what really happened, but as a film, it was less than satisfying. Pretty grim stuff.