Rent Patrick (2019)

Clever Comedy/Drama - Patrick review by GI

A tragicomedy that looks at the absurdity of life. It's a wry, existential study set in a remote naturist campsite in the Ardennes forest of Belgium. This is where Patrick (Kevin Janssens), the son of the owners, is the handyman. He's a shy, unassuming, almost a Forrest Gump type chap who happens to be a very talented carpenter but is overshadowed by his domineering father. When one of Patrick's hammers goes missing he becomes obsessed with finding it and after his ailing father dies he becomes more focused on his quest. The campers think he's avoiding grief by his hammer search and a takeover of the campsite by some of the regulars who seek to take advantage of Patrick begins. There are some very tender and touching moments here as well as the farce of the situation. Anyone expecting titillation from the nudity will be disappointed as this is a tale of the human condition and the nakedness of the characters becomes a uniform that highlights the sheer ridiculous ness of modern life. It shifts from sad to absurd quite suddenly making for a very interesting and at times uplifting film. Well worth checking out.