By coincidence, two friends discover the formula for a miracle powder. Just add a bit of powder to water and hey presto, you've got an invigorating foot bath that will make the owner of the feet feel like winged Mercury. One of the friends happens to meet a rich businessman willing to pump money into a joint project. The Belgian World Fair of 1958 is just the right place in which to publicize this wondrous product...
Let's start by saying that this feels like a very masculine film, witness the casual sexism. In the movie, the men are there in order to make discoveries, talk business and develop projects ; the women are there in order to look nice and warble sweet songs. Mind you, the idea of having attractive "hostesses" was wide-spread in contemporary culture - and even nowadays there's many an airline company, all over the world, that looks upon its air hostesses as giggling geishas.
For the rest this is a slight, somewhat amusing comedy with its highs (Dora van der Groen is pretty funny as a silk-clad Mata Hari) and its lows (watch the painfully unfunny waiter-and-client slapstick act, which, strangely, is supposed to an absolute success). However the setting is unique, since much of the action involves fun and intrigue at the 1958 Belgian World Fair, generally known as "Expo 1958". From April to October 1958 millions and millions of people from every continent on the globe visited the exhibition, which exuded a happy belief in the endless possibilities of scientific discovery and technological progress.
Those of you who are familiar with Belgium will doubtlessly recognize one of the fair's remnants, to wit the Atomium. André Waterkeyn's giant creation still exists and is to Brussels what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris.
Born in the 1960's, I grew up meeting adults who would get teary-eyed remembering the World Fair - its style, its sweep, its grandeur, its optimism. As a result I was delighted to watch the movie's setting, with its rare images.
People who like "Het geluk komt morgen" may want to watch another Belgian comedy called "Wat doen we met de liefde ?", which boasts a lot of the same collaborators.
Let's start by saying that this feels like a very masculine film, witness the casual sexism. In the movie, the men are there in order to make discoveries, talk business and develop projects ; the women are there in order to look nice and warble sweet songs. Mind you, the idea of having attractive "hostesses" was wide-spread in contemporary culture - and even nowadays there's many an airline company, all over the world, that looks upon its air hostesses as giggling geishas.
For the rest this is a slight, somewhat amusing comedy with its highs (Dora van der Groen is pretty funny as a silk-clad Mata Hari) and its lows (watch the painfully unfunny waiter-and-client slapstick act, which, strangely, is supposed to an absolute success). However the setting is unique, since much of the action involves fun and intrigue at the 1958 Belgian World Fair, generally known as "Expo 1958". From April to October 1958 millions and millions of people from every continent on the globe visited the exhibition, which exuded a happy belief in the endless possibilities of scientific discovery and technological progress.
Those of you who are familiar with Belgium will doubtlessly recognize one of the fair's remnants, to wit the Atomium. André Waterkeyn's giant creation still exists and is to Brussels what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris.
Born in the 1960's, I grew up meeting adults who would get teary-eyed remembering the World Fair - its style, its sweep, its grandeur, its optimism. As a result I was delighted to watch the movie's setting, with its rare images.
People who like "Het geluk komt morgen" may want to watch another Belgian comedy called "Wat doen we met de liefde ?", which boasts a lot of the same collaborators.
