‘Wolf’ DVD Review
Stars: Marwan Kenzari, Chemseddine Amar, Mark Catuogno, Steef Cuijpers, Nasrdin Dchar, Jacob Derwig, Michael Knaap, Bo Maerten, Bjorn Niessen, Raymond Thiry, Cahit Ölmez | Written and Directed by Jim Taihuttu
Maj-id (Kenzari) is a talented kick boxer from a gray, anonymous suburb in the Netherlands. Whilst trying to support his family through petty crime, his fighting prowess brings him increasing notoriety in-and outside the ring. As the worlds of kickboxing and organized crime begin to blur into each another, Maj-id begins to lose sight of what it is he really wants and also those who are closest to him as well.
Wolf is a black and white film and is entirely in Dutch so therefore, unless you speak Dutch, you will have to read the subtitles. If either of those facts cause you to recoil in horror at even the thought of watching the film, then this definitely isn’t the one for you. Of course, it would be a shame if that was the case because you would be missing out on a dark and quite gripping film. Maj-id, is the classic anti-hero of this story, trying to look after his family who have rejected him through a life of crime and the sport of kickboxing. This film dances an interesting line between violent, touching and powerful throughout, never quite settling on one before jumping into the next.
I am not a big fan of sports films, but Wolf manages to blend it in with the crime aspect very successfully. Maj-id goes from fighting in the boxing ring to breaking into shops in the blink of an eye. He is portrayed very well by Marwan Kenzari who manages to get across all aspects of loving brother and violent thug in one fun package. If I had anything negative to say about Wolf, it was that it was a little predictable. I definitely saw the end of the film coming from a mile off and, although it is very well told, the story itself it not a new one.
Even with the predictability of it all, I wouldn’t say that Wolf was a boring film though. Obviously, it is not for every one, adult themes and plenty of violence and prevalent throughout, but if underground crime with a healthy blend of sport thrown in for good measure are your jam, I would check this entertaining film.
Wolf is now on DVD from StudioCanal.
