Depending on how you see Tricked, the experience will be different. I saw it streaming so the first thirty-four minutes consisted of behind the scenes footage from Paul Verhoeven’s perspective and the remaining fifty-five minutes is the actual movie. If you watch it on DVD, the movie is featured separately from the behind the scenes footage. The actual movie is a comedy consisting of a flurry of maneuvering actions by multiple characters around the orbit of Remco, a philandering head of a business and a family, who is much acted upon, but rarely a decisive, around his fiftieth birthday. He may actually be the dullard of the group.
Tricked is what The Party, Chloe and Nathalie… would be if they were less hysterical and serious, good, short, fun and was completely heterosexual with Verhoeven’s askew sexual mores, i.e. no trace of American or British sense of morality when it comes to sex, very European. No one is ever truly upset by transgressions, just frustrated by the hypocrisy of faithfulness and veneer of family stability. There is brief nudity, but no sex scenes. If the plot sounds like fun, but you are not into DVD extras, I would skip the beginning if you decide to watch it via streaming.
I really enjoy Verhoeven’s work so good or not I was going to see it and am the kind of film lover that is interested in behind the scenes footage. While it gives some insight into Verhoeven’s thoughts about himself and his work—he claims Tricked is somewhat autobiographical, I was really disappointed by the documentary portion, which attempts to explain the Entertainment Experience. It was supposed to explain how the screenwriting aspect of the story worked, but I left with more questions about the logistics of this process than answers. Apparently Kim van Kooten wrote the initial three minutes, i.e. part one, then the public had a period to submit what happened in the next seven acts. He and his production team would select what they considered were the best parts to put in the actual movie. I understood how he chose what to use, but how did the public know about the competition and the progression of the story? Would they see one filmed part before they wrote the subsequent part or did everyone just get the first part and write the entire movie, which is not what it sounds like happen? I suppose that it was a reality show for screenwriting, but it didn’t sound as innovative as Verhoeven had hoped. It sounded like those choose your own adventure games and books. Just from an outsider’s perspective, it seemed like he was trying to signal that he was coming back to Europe and wanted to be taken seriously.
Fortunately Tricked does not suffer from Verhoeven’s eagerness to make a comeback. It is quick witted and fast paced with a bunch of people behaving badly, but none of the devastating consequences that usually accompany these sort of scenarios. If anything, it shows that Verhoeven has a sense of humor about his resume and decided to combine corporate espionage with a sex thriller then defuse the situation as no one stays shocked for long. The only victory is who has the upper hand, i.e. the most information, but the end result is basically the same no matter who ultimately wins. Even Remco’s enemies want the best for him. He falls up.
For those of you with finer sensibilities, you may be appalled by Verhoeven’s stable of characters, which are actually fairly tame for him. Everyone is having some sort of affair, and the only character who isn’t engaging in shenanigans is a rampant alcoholic and drug user. I’m tired of affairs in movies resulting in murder or something similarly serious so I actually welcomed Tricked’s exploration of a lighter sensibility while not rubberstamping the permissive environment. I don’t need a movie to mirror my outlook on life and enjoy seeing a variety of perspectives.
If I had to guess what aspect of Tricked is autobiographical, I would hazard two guesses. He could see himself in Remco, whose wife secretly approves of his sexual freedom, which is either a case of cinematic wish fulfillment or a reflection of his reality. He could also relate to Remco’s son, who is a photographer and competes with his father for sexual conquests, but is a smoother operator than the old man. Even when Remco gets in trouble, I don’t know why he worries when his wife told him her only requirement to stay on her good side. If he is Remco, he is fortunate to have his incompetence buoyed by the good will and effectiveness of others. It must be nice.
Tricked’s episodic nature shows that Verhoeven could return to his roots in television serials. The movie ends on a cliffhanger, which is not as frustrating as it sounds, but I would not mind revisiting these characters to find out what trouble they got into now. Sure the scenarios are a bit broad and melodramatic, but the humor and good nature makes it enjoyable.
Tricked is an entertaining diversion that won’t waste your time while rushing to the denouement. The overall story is predictable, but the characters’ reactions are simultaneously surprising because no one ever misses a beat or drops the baton. I would not recommend it to people easily shocked by bad behavior, but for those of you who don’t mind watching a fictional train wreck into a pile of fluffy cushions, get your popcorn.