I'm an American w/ some familiarity w/ Antwerp and I enjoyed seeing it on film. The influence of Rosemary's Baby is obvious. While this is not in the same league, it does have some things going for it: good photography and music and 2 good leads: Schoenaerts and Eline Kuppens. (I'm not sure how good Schoenaerts is but he's nude 5 minutes after it begins so I can forgive a lot.) Probably the weak link here is the screenplay. The ending makes no sense whatsoever but getting there was enjoyable enough that I didn't much care. Atmospherics, mood, that kind of thing can be incredibly important in a film and Left Bank is quite good in the mood department. It helps too, of course, that the film is anchored by 2 strong performances.

Eh, another horror film that looks good but is annoying instead of scary or at least interesting. The biggest problem by far was the lead character, some moody young runner chick whom I just can't empathize with. She's boring, self-absorbed, and never seems to show kindness to anyone, so I don't care about her. She's not even that fit or attractive. Also, the filmmaker's showing you her heavy period stains followed by her finding a mess of black powder inside her panties, which she just dusts off before pulling them up again -- I don't care if she's a chick, that's gross! I also don't understand why the filmmakers insisted on showing her naked or half-naked so much -- maybe they think it shows how vulnerable she is, or it's some kind of statement about separating the female body from sexuality, but it just made me horny. It felt inappropriate - this is obviously marketed as a serious horror movie, not a damn softcore porn. On top of that there's a predictable plot about human sacrifice on Halloween that's nothing new and has been done better. I guess I didn't like this movie very much, but that's hard to admit because it LOOKED good and the acting was okay.

I first watched this movie expecting an ordinary suspense/horror type of film. But Left Bank quickly captivated my attention. This is very good cinema. The actors are convincing. The plot is well sculptured. The soundtrack adds to the atmosphere, especially when the voices start to get distorted. At some point you start hearing echo when the characters speak. Very intriguing. This is a movie about mother Nature. The earth is a character on its own. There is a parallel between being a woman and the laws of nature. I like this idea of having a building standing on some kind of black hole that has mysterious powers. One of the most scary scenes is when the girl has a nightmare in which she sees herself breastfeeding her boyfriend in a park. That was pretty gripping, something you'd see in a David Lynch film. Why is this movie so unknown? It deserves to be respected. See it if you liked Rosemary's Baby or if you are into crazy stuff like Possession (1981). You wont be disappointed.

My beloved Belgium country hasn't got much of an impressive history when it comes to horror cinema, but at least there have always been enthusiast and visionary directors that tried to make a difference. Back in the 70's there was Harry Kümel (whose movies "Malpertuis" and "Daughters of Darkness" are highly desired and acclaimed cult-collector items nowadays), then there's Jan Verheyen (who also hosts horror movie screenings on Belgian TV) and since recently we have Pieter Van Hees. Van Hees is an extremely devoted fan of the genre, as it is illustrated in his absurdly grotesque and engrossing short movie "Black XXX-Mas" as well as in this slow-brooding and atmospheric thriller "Linkeroever". The title literally means Left Bank and refers to a very well known living area in Antwerp. It's a reputedly "troubled" area since the Middle Ages already, with dark historical secrets and mysterious inhabitants, and thus the ideal setting for a sinister story. Marie is a young and talented but introvert athlete who suddenly falls ill and gets forced to cancel her participation in a prominent European tournament. She moves in with her new boyfriend Bobby and, mostly out of boredom, begins to investigate the mysterious unsolved disappearance of the previous tenant. I don't want to reveal too much about the complex and extremely unsettling story, but the script hints at horrific elements such as human sacrifices, reincarnation, pagan rites, excommunication, witches and super massive black holes. "Linkeroever" is basically a typical folklore tale, but set in a present day social environment and decorated with style & content elements that are borrowed from similarly-themed international horror classics like "The Wicker Man", "Blood on Satan's Skin" and "Rosemary's Baby". Pieter Van Hees generates a depressing and constantly grim atmosphere through simple tricks (autumn weather conditions, pauperized living areas…) and patiently takes the time to unfold the story and draw detailed character portraits. The denouement isn't that difficult to predict – especially not when you have experience with occult horror – but it nevertheless evokes a handful of genuine chills and nightmarish afterthoughts. Considering the fairly low budget and overall tense ambiance of the film, you shouldn't hope for a lot of bloodshed, though. Van Hees could rely on a professional crew as well. The photography, editing and musical guidance are damn close to brilliant and, following good old Belgian traditions, the film contains several dared but tasteful and quintessential sex sequences. Eline Kuppens is simply fantastic in her screen debut and she carries the entire motion picture like it's the easiest job in the world. She's a natural beauty with the talent and perseverance to make it even in the international film industry. Kuppens receives excellent support from the handsome young actor Matthias Schoenaerts and a couple of Flemish TV-screen veterans like Marilou Mermans, Frank Vercruyssen and Sien Eggers. Recommended for anyone who can speak the language and fundamental viewing for all Belgian film freaks.