I'm sorry to say that I am profoundly unfamiliar with the books written by author Appie Baantjer, one of which inspired the movie. (Baantjer wrote a great many books, a large number of which were devoted to the adventures of police inspector De Cock - and no, there's nothing racy about that family name in the Dutch language.) As a result, I am unable to say anything about the movie's quality as an adaptation.
Viewed as a creation in its own right, "Moord in extase" is workmanlike : it's competent, it gets the work done, but there's not much in the way of originality, innovation or inspiration. If this were food instead of a movie, it would be a meal of meatloaf, boiled potatoes and spinach. The viewer gets a tale about an older, experienced police inspector, partnered with a more athletic and impetuous assistent, who solves a bloody attack on a transport van and who brings a handful of dangerous criminals to heel. The viewer also gets some stunts, some jokes and some anecdotes about the tragicomical lot of policemen working in a large, modern city. And that's it, pretty much.
"Moord in extase" might have been lifted to a whole new height if it had contained a truly impressive femme fatale, but here, sadly, the said femme fatale falls down on the job. A dark-hearted temptress should be like a poisonous orchid growing in a lush, sweltering forest, but no such luck here, where the character looks either prosaic or silly. (The movie is too competent to generate much unintentional humor, but the short SM session near the end needs to be seen to be believed. If you can watch the scene without laughing out loud, you're made of sterner stuff than me.)
In conclusion : the movie's watchable, but don't expect "The French connection".
Viewed as a creation in its own right, "Moord in extase" is workmanlike : it's competent, it gets the work done, but there's not much in the way of originality, innovation or inspiration. If this were food instead of a movie, it would be a meal of meatloaf, boiled potatoes and spinach. The viewer gets a tale about an older, experienced police inspector, partnered with a more athletic and impetuous assistent, who solves a bloody attack on a transport van and who brings a handful of dangerous criminals to heel. The viewer also gets some stunts, some jokes and some anecdotes about the tragicomical lot of policemen working in a large, modern city. And that's it, pretty much.
"Moord in extase" might have been lifted to a whole new height if it had contained a truly impressive femme fatale, but here, sadly, the said femme fatale falls down on the job. A dark-hearted temptress should be like a poisonous orchid growing in a lush, sweltering forest, but no such luck here, where the character looks either prosaic or silly. (The movie is too competent to generate much unintentional humor, but the short SM session near the end needs to be seen to be believed. If you can watch the scene without laughing out loud, you're made of sterner stuff than me.)
In conclusion : the movie's watchable, but don't expect "The French connection".