Good concept, poorly executed.

Beautiful, moving film.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Eager to see his follow up to Ex Drummer, I was far from disappointed. Although almost a polar opposite to Ex Drummer, it is also submerged in its own style, wonder and originality. The story is tragic, fascinating and yet there is something of a banal feel in contrast to its mystical style and heavy subject. Quiet and slow it is like a Flemish master's brush strokes unfolding before the eyes. The viewer can almost see how this creative force must have meticulously set up scenes with great skill. I hope Koen De Mortier can keep up this magic in his future works.

If you have seen the "Ex Drummer" (the directors previous movie) and go into this movie with certain expectations, you will be disappointed. While the other one was punk rock at it's finest, this is more to the tune of classical music. I'm talking about the pace here. Even the storytelling seems "ancient" (if you want to call it that) and very slow moving overall.But is that necessarily a bad thing? I don't think so. While I did expect something else I was intrigued by this movie. Not enough to really like it (it could have done with a faster pace), but it is Art House that is as silent as it is loud. You will understand when you watch it (if you watch it that is). The movie has great cinematography and a great lead actor. And it has a feeling to it, that you can't really describe. But it's also not commercially accessible

It's not that I wouldn't appreciate slow-paced movies. As a huge fan of Asian esp. Japanese films I am used to watch people standing around for half an hour doing nothing (e.g. the wonderful 3 1/2 hours "Eureka" by Shinji Aoyama). But as "22nd of may" opened showing the boring start in a boring every-day life of a bored protagonist - a guard preparing for his work in a shopping-mall - I already feared for the rest of the movies runtime. Then the bomb exploded and I thought "OK. That explains why before we had to watch a boring guy doing boring things in every boring detail. Because there's nothing stronger to kick your ass than an exploding bomb." The guy then immediately came to rescue, panicked and scrammed which got my full compassion! But after that the victims started talking to him. And they talked. And talked. And talked. Well, what I can say. They talked me out of the cinema after 30 minutes. Mind me, the basic idea is great and deserves 8 stars for sounding philosophical, intriguing, and passionate so your mind may go Boom. 22nd of May unfortunately let only my patience go Boom and scattered my 8 stars to smithereens, leaving 3 for the good intention. Making boring things interesting is obviously not given to every director.

Koen Mortier, director of the great "ex-drummer" is back with a very different film. '22 mei' starts with a long traveling shot showing Sam, a security guard in shopping center, and his daily routine. It seems to be just another day like all the others, when suddenly an huge explosion changes the mall into hell. Sam at first tries to help, but confronted with the devastating consequences he runs away.It is at this point that 22 mei steps away from conventional narration and turns into a mental trip inside Sam's head. Soon he finds himself confronted with the victims of the terrible attack. Some blame him, some ask him why, but all of them have had their lives cut short.Forgoing easy symbolism or classical logic 22 mei takes you on a intensly cinematographical trip, a trip that in the ends seems to tell you to enjoy life; because you never now when it might end.