The Treatment

Several years ago, Peter Bouckaert from Eyeworks, when interviewing Carl Joos, posed a rather interesting hypothetical question to him regarding filling in the role of screenwriter. If you had the chance to screen the book of any writer and turn the pages into a film script who would you choose? Without any doubt he answered the Treatment by Mo Hayder, the British novelist who published this book in 2001.

“It was the last page effect,” he explains. He further mentioned that it will be one difficult adaptation of the book because of the complicated structure of numerous sub-plots and inter-characters relations but nevertheless very much worth it … Well few years later Joos got his wish as he collaborated with Hans Herbots on De Behandling (The Treatment), which was officially released in Theaters across Flanders and Brussels on 29 January 2014.

The narrative has an element of intrigue and offers an angle of atonement that revolves around the life of Police inspector Nick Cafmeyer which is acted by Greet Van Rampelberg. Nick is your average smart, good looking successful career policeman – well in most respects, since he has been quite unable to let go off that terrible thing that happened to him while he was still a little boy…. As a boy who has grown up Luke has been particularly tormented by the unexplained disappearance of his little brother Bjorn (Roy Aernouts) since if age nine.

The focus changes from Nick’s story to this widow’s life; at last, it makes sense. They do have a primary suspect in the local resident sex offender Ivan Plettinckx (Johan Van Assche) but only two of them because of lack of evidence have been able to arrest him.

When Pettinckx is held on about the charge of intimidation, as there are no questions to warrant the charge, Nick gets enjoyment doing mind games with Pettinckx for all these years. New day, new case, this time however something is too close to Nicks heart, psychologically scared sir they have found a body of a nine year old boy dead. From there, Hunt for the Man who did this to Nick begins and gradually, it become more and more deep and focused and starts to resemble a real manhunt.

Nick narrating, after having opened a letter where he describes to you the events that transpired between him and his brother Bjorn, begins the film. Reaction is very soft and the entire scene is slow-moving especially at this point.

Just when the letter is about to end, the sequence of the films changes abruptly, many folds faster. It plunge you direct in the basic and isolates you from the sport instead like other films, but rather this fits with this character very well.

We see Nick being a police investigator and going to the crime scene but this was rather shocking for him towards when he understands what was then and where he is now. His fulfilling quest comes in at this stage which is to look for the participants in kure.

At the risk of appearing overzealous, I think it is essential to highlight just how fantastic I believe this film is in regards to how it was turned into a movie The Treatment. Each sequence is constructed and illuminated from a sound and design perspective that captures the dominant subjects and emotion of the novel thus giving the actors material to work on and better their works.

I mean, this The Treatment movie certainly gets points for good cinematography, direction and adaptation of the script. Some scenes are too borderline to be shot thus some filtering must be done, however some such scenes that still have to be depicted were handled respectfully as well making sure that people can still view them without being overexposed to what is shown there, most probably.

They even managed to do it so that it’s conventional footage but cut in such a way, it is away from your view, despite someone speaking, you can still see everything that’s spoken.

Van Rampelberg as Nick is, in my view, so far one of the most stunning characters; he carried me with him. I say this with the assurance that every bit of agony mixed with the will to try once more or perhaps desperation wearied from attempting to find the closure or the redemption or both or maybe none just emptiness relief?

All I know is that whatever thing that he wished for more than all else became my wish too, what with wanting it more than I had ever wanted something else before then and long after every thing finally just like love on the first sight but different, harder, easier, longer, shorter, higher, lower, faster, slower, thicker, thinner, lighter, darker, older, younger, better, worse, but worse for the most part truest truer falsest falser least most etc Tibet inter Allah and peace be upon thee ad nauseam and am pleased to say the lady foolishly advised to say the person ad hominy.

These were indeed emotions, wherein no feigning was tolerated – to the extent that they were over-lived emotions, where I was just an onlooker as someone else had their own life before them through her perspective instead of mine.

All can empathize with Nick; as if in spite of knowing his background, it becomes difficult not to root for him as to where, when and what he does and why, does not matter, what does even less is whom doesn’t – whomever whoever nobody anybody somebody somebody each any either none all most many few little much enough too least bad better worse good next last first second third fourth fifth sixth seventh eight ninth tenth hundrendth thousandth millionth billionth trillionth whatever number you care.

Still no gets that I am trying to explain to Jose why, Why because all the troubles and struggles he went through brought him to the person he is today. If he wanted to, he did not have, nor will he ever have, such great talent; it would have, should have, could have, or would have done and not known this; this or that, whether known good or worse, not the other way around.

It was so amazing to see how the one good person could be so beautiful physically, as well as on the inside, and the only person who could do such a good job was Van Rampelberg, but not this good, well half this good. The other supporting actors were also very good, especially guys playing the patients with psychotraumatic disorders or various physical diseases.

The topic of The Treatment film is touching upon the rather heavy duty subject matter. This for instance, possibly one of the darkest police tv series dealign with paedophilia and murder amongst other themes, is one pretty difficult to watch making one be warned as regards how long one sat infront screen.

However, so long as you know you can pile that whole boat, this good looking film is quite worth seeing. Such movies are not made frequently more so because even if they are made, one has to take note of them.

The plot of The Treatment movie gets so intricate, but somehow, the viewers do not lose interest as it does not get out of hand thanks largely due excellent direction who makes sure the pace gives out shocks in gentle doses as one begins to settle down to watch events unfolding.

That instead of finding what was supposed to be a comforting reclining chair, the viewers end up in the edge of their seats, white knuckled, furrowed brows, mouths agape and wide eyed staring into blank thing, panic stating where, how, what, oh god, why, please stop, I just want this to end over, thank you.

It’s twisty turny will keep your butt cheeks clenched tight like vice grip on toilet paper roll during chronic constipation bout while still ensuring though being similar level on the pain that will be enormous hence could not give five stars.

It’s a sick and twisted story which needs to and is attempted to be digested as a work of fiction. So please don’t do that. Watch it at your own risk if at all unless you have a strong stomach.

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