LIKE TEARS IN RAIN (2024)
4 stars
Viaplay Channel. Digital. Available Now
Dutch Actor Rutger Hauer first came to our notice in the films of Paul Verhoeven like TURKISH DELIGHT (1973) and SOLDIER OF ORANGE (1977) though it was probably his iconic role as the replicant Batty in BLADE RUNNER (1982) which cemented his reputation — especially the famous speech, from which this documentary derives it’s title.
In this affectionate documentary his goddaughter, director Sanna Fabery de Jonge, explores the life and work of this often very private individual, who Verhoeven calls ‘the most important actor in the Netherlands’.
The film is built around home movie footage – apparently Rutger filmed a lot of special moments with his extended family and friends. The tapes were kept in a storage unit in Los Angeles, but a flood destroyed them all and it was thought lost. However, after his passing Sanna found a small box in his house in the Netherlands – which had film and videotapes in it, much of which is shown in this overview.
As well as this private footage, the director talks to family, friends and well known associates. Many folks are interviewed including Paul Verhoeven, Whoopi Goldberg, Director Jason Eisener, Mickey Rourke, Robert Rodriguez and others but especially his wife Ineke to whom he was devoted.
What emerges is an intimate portrait showing how different he was from the characters he played on screen, which were often scary bad guys, and how his life centred around his wife Ineke and his friends back home. Also how he gave back to the industry he loved by starting Filmfactory – an acting/filmmaking school.
If you are looking for an in depth career overview then look elsewhere as this is more about what Hauer was like as a person. Currently available on the Viaplay channel on platforms like Amazon Prime. Hopefully eventually this will get wider distribution.
Steve Kirkham
