Written by Tim Mielants and Benjamin Sprengers
Directed by Tim Mielants
Starring Kevin Janssens, Hannah Hoekstra, Pierre Bokma, Ariane Van Vliet and Jemaine Clement
Not Rated – nudity
Language: Dutch, French, German
Running time: 1 hour 37 minutes

by Audrey Callerstrom

The title character of Patrick, played by Kevin Janssens, is a single man in his late 30s whose parents own and operate a nudist camp in the woods outside Brussels. He’s quiet. He doesn’t have friends. Out of obligation, he carries on a tryst with the married Liliane (Arian Van Vliet), in exchange for jars of her homemade jam. He wears the same faded men’s shirt every day, no bottoms. He creates striking and original handmade wooden chairs. His only duties are to his mother and father, who are as quiet and reserved as he is. He thrives on the mundanity of his life until the theft of his beloved hammer has him intent on looking for answers.In terms of story, Patrick is standard indie fare. Early on, Patrick’s sickly father, Rudy (Josse De Pauw) dies, much to the dismay of everyone in the camp except, seemingly, Patrick. We have the quirky setting, the offbeat main character, a death, a quest. There’s even a small supporting role from Jemaine Clement (TV’s “Flight of the Conchords”), who plays a rock star named Dustin Apollo (if you’re a fan of FOTC like I am, he does sing), and a caring beautiful girl named Nathalie (Hannah Hoekstra, The Canal). There are some standout scenes, like one where a fight breaks out between Patrick and Liliane’s husband, Herman (Pierre Bokma) inside a camper cabin that, spoiler alert, is not bolted to the ground.

For the most part, Patrick unfolds in a predictable fashion. Whether the film is engaging in spite of some of these clichés rests on the lead’s shoulders. Janssens, a veteran of Belgian television, transformed physically for the role, adding 50 pounds to this athletic frame. He is unrecognizable. Imagine if a young John Travolta was over 6 feet tall and a gentle, silent giant. It’s an engaging performance which is a feat considering Patrick speaks only one sentence (or word) at a time. Given his behaviors, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to say that Patrick is on the spectrum. Patrick is literal and can’t understand the nuances or implications in conversation. He avoids eye contact, has trouble empathizing with others, and is obsessed with finding the missing hammer. It doesn’t hold any emotional significance for him, except that each hammer has its designated spot on the wall, and he relies on seeing that hammer in that spot every day. It’s curious how the nudist camp setting of Patrick so rarely plays for laughs, like it might if this were an American film. It’s funny to see two bottomless men in a clumsy fight, sure, but the fight is funny because it’s so awkward (at one point, a Tupperware lid is thrown). Genitals are never on screen for long, or showcased in the corner of the frame. Bodies are never shown to be laughed at, they’re just there, dancing, eating breakfast, attending camp meetings. These are people of all shapes and sizes (but mostly shorter and older) who look forward to their nude getaway every year. Although nude, every character seems to have an “outfit” to distinguish them from each other. Patrick’s is a faded thrift store shirt, always open. Herman is nude except for socks. Liliane is nude except for a string of pearls (like the Princess in Forbidden Zone), and Rudy is nude except for his nasal cannula. Sadly, FOTC fans – Clement is fully clothed.

Supporting characters are never given an opportunity to have much impact on Patrick, and his search for his hammer doesn’t take any unexpected turns. For the anticipation the film builds about the hammer mystery, it’s resolved hastily and off-camera. Clement’s presence is welcome, but like the rest of the supporting cast, he is underused. I would rarely say that a film could use a “B-plot,” but this film could certainly benefit by adding another element to the story. There just isn’t enough here to make it the bittersweet comedy that it intends to be. Although amusing and charming at times, Patrick works more as a character study than an overall film.