As someone who's studied and taught Holocaust literature and history, and who's written a lot of what's called Second Generation work, I have my doubts about the trope I've seen in fiction as well: Jewish woman sleeps with Nazi. I haven't found it believable to date, and none of the reviews of this film make it sound believable either. I suppose authors and Verhoeven choose it to violate a taboo and shock the audience/readers--but it seems psychologically improbable, and a cheap effect.

I disagree with Lev's assessment of the improbability of a Jewish woman sleeping with a Nazi man. The "taboo" he ascribes to this kind of pairing is just what would keep someone from admitting it in a historical or nonfiction account. Who's going to admit for the record, "Yeah, they killed my parents and tried to wipe out my people, but let me tell you about this one guy..."?

Since neither of us is a Jewish woman during WWII, neither of us can say for sure. But as a woman, and therefore familiar with the sex/power question from the physically more vulnerable side, I can assure you revenge could figure largely here, at least for starters. If someone would consider you vermin if he knew your real identity, and yet here he is lusting after you, and you could mess with him, albeit in your own mind...Add the extreme stresses of occupation and annihilation, and who can say who'd sleep with whom?

Mr. O'H,

This is the kind of review you do better than most others; where you really dive in and ask interesting questions, without taking the usual step of "summing things up" with any kind of definitive (and artificial) summation. In doing so you really communicate, to me, the experience of watching a film. I find myself not wanting to see the particular movie itself so much as inspired to take in as much cinema as possible. Thanks for your good work.

Anybody else notice the close physical resemblance between Sebastian Koch and Paul Verhoeven? They could be father and son.

http://www.imdb.com/gallery/granitz/5597/12112407_400.jpg.html?path=pgallery&path_key=Houten%2C%20Carice%20van&seq=17

Very nice review. Ik zal het wel kijken.

People discussing Verhoeven's oeuvre always seem to be slightly dismissive of RoboCop (O'Hehir mentions it once in passing). There is a reason it got an early Criterion Collection release on DVD. Beyond the top notch design aspects and action sequences, the film is an excellent piece of low-key science-fiction (as in the fate of the world is not at stake) and a stingingly funny satire on corporate culture and privatization that is still fresh and relevant today. It is a key liberal, humanist film of the 1980's in my mind.

Nepotism is a dangerous thing. Just ask Pauly Shore.

"RoboCop" was one of the best films of the 1980s. By turns hilarious, poignant, violent and sophisticated, there have been few films like it in the 20 years since its release. Also, Paul Verhoeven deserves much more than the back-handed praise given to him by O'Hehir. Much more.

So, a woman is in bed with a man she might want to kill, and he suspects. I think I already saw that movie.

I know you're just reviewing a film, and perhaps it snows throughout the entire movie, but jesus christ, you're journalists, Nova Scotia has no snowier a clime than New Hampshire. Salon shouldn't be perpetuating the cultural stereotype that Americans, ignorant of anywhere other than America, are constantly perpetuating cultural stereotypes. Now if you don't mind, I'll just retire to my igloo. I've got blubber that needs chewing.

I just saw The TV Set, and loved it. It's actually very funny if you know anything about how TV networks actually work. Sigourney Weaver is hilarious and does a spot-on network exec. The rest of the Hollywood audience seemed to agree, if peals of laughter are any indication.

It's not really an "art movie," and not exactly a satire, either, so perhaps it lacks the qualities necessary for "Beyond the Multiplex" appeal. Slate seemed to like the movie quite a bit, leading its review with: "The TV Set is a little wonder of a movie, as smart and sad and true as any comedy I've seen this year."

Jake Kasdan's also made two other feature films which O'Heir fails to mention, the solidly entertaining Orange County and the brilliant, weird and strangely touching Zero Effect.

You know, the movie with Duchovny and Weaver, that this reviewer apparently hated. I just saw it, and I loved it.

Here's the thing: the movie itself is uncompromising. It's not a feelgood comedy. It's dark humor at it's best. Which may be why people felt deflated. I don't know.