Lijmen/Het been

Lijmen/Het been

Year: 2000

Runtime: 110 mins

Language: Dutch

Director: Robbe De Hert

Drama

Story of two con men, Boorman and his younger assistant Laarmans, who are trying to sell companies their non-existing magazine.

Melancholic
Bittersweet ending
Moderately emotional
Medium intensity
Steady pacing
Moderate complexity

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Lijmen/Het been (2000)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Lijmen/Het been (2000). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1938

Set in the late 1930s, the film situates its events just before World War II, a time of economic fragility and rapid modernization. Belgium's commercial culture is booming, yet built on shaky foundations of inflated figures and dubious advertising. The era shapes the characters' desperation and the choices they make as schemes unfold.

Location

Belgium

The story unfolds in interwar Belgium, a period of economic tension that frames a world of deals and deceit. Key scenes move through an auction hall, a psychiatric hospital, funeral services, and a market where the consequences of fraudulent business practices ripple through everyday life. The setting reflects a society grappling with ambition, money, and moral boundaries.

🇧🇪 Belgium 🏛️ 1930s economy 💼 Business fraud

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:26

Main Characters – Lijmen/Het been (2000)

Meet the key characters of Lijmen/Het been (2000), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Frans Laarmans (Koen De Bouw)

A dutiful clerk who is drawn into Boormans’s venture, his naive optimism gives way to wary realism as he witnesses the scam. He ultimately resigns to start a cheese shop, choosing a simpler, honest path. He remains sympathetic toward Mrs Lauwereyssen, illustrating his struggle between empathy and complicity.

🎯 Ambition 🤔 Moral doubt 🧭 Ethical conflict

Mr. Boormans (Mike Verdrengh)

The flashy publisher behind the fraudulent World Magazine, whose manipulation of numbers drives the plot. He grapples with guilt as the scheme unravels, yet attempts to resolve the fallout, revealing a complex mix of remorse and self-justification.

💼 Fraudster 🧠 Manipulator ⚖️ Guilt

Mevrouw Lauwereyssen (Willeke van Ammelrooy)

Owner of an elevator company teetering on bankruptcy, she seeks an international boost through the fraudulent magazine. Her leg amputation underscores the physical and financial toll of her pressures. She ultimately sees through the deceit and forgives Laarmans, while grappling with the consequences.

💪 Resilience 💸 Desperation 🛠️ Businesswoman

Deurwaarder Van Kamp (Hans Van Den Berg)

A creditor figure involved in the aftermath of the fraud, illustrating how the deceit harms multiple customers and leads to ongoing financial strain. His involvement underscores the broader social impact of the scheme.

💼 Debt ⚖️ Legal consequence

Rechter Teugels (Jan Decleir)

The judge who dismisses Boormans’s case for lack of evidence, highlighting the limits of legal recourse in fraud cases and the ambiguities of truth in a world of manipulated information.

⚖️ Justice 🧭 Judgment

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:26

Major Themes – Lijmen/Het been (2000)

Explore the central themes of Lijmen/Het been (2000), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⚖️ Moral Conflict

Frans Laarmans is drawn into Boormans’s fraudulent operation, torn between ambition and integrity. The film traces his attempts to navigate corruption while honoring his duties to family and conscience. This tension between personal advancement and ethical limits drives the emotional core of the story.

🎭 Fraud & Deception

World Magazine turns out to be a sham—a costly brochure masquerading as credible data. The deception relies on fake figures and manipulated contracts, affecting owners like Mrs Lauwereyssen and buyers alike. The consequences expose how easily trust can be exploited in business.

💰 Greed vs Compassion

Mrs Lauwereyssen’s bid to salvage her nearly bankrupt company pits desperation against moral judgment. Laarmans’s compassion for her plight clashes with the lure of profit, highlighting the personal toll of pursuing wealth at any cost. The dynamic questions whether empathy can outpace exploitation.

🏛️ Consequences of Ambition

The scheme leads to bankruptcies, contested invoices, and reckless bidding that hurt multiple people. The final auction underscores the cost of unbridled ambition, while Laarmans’s move to open a cheese shop signals a quieter rejection of an unethical system. The ending hints at a lasting legacy of loss despite a return to ordinary life.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:26

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Methodical con artist stories like Lijmen/Het been

Films that follow the patient, business-like execution of a long con.If you liked the calculated fraud and business-like pacing of Lijmen/Het been, explore more movies about patient con artists. This thread gathers character-driven dramas where the focus is on the slow, meticulous execution of a scam, the psychological tension between partners, and the moral decay that follows success.

morally ambiguoustensedeceptively calmcharacter-drivengrimcalculatingprocedural

Narrative Summary

These narratives typically follow a slow-burn arc, beginning with the setup of a clever scheme, progressing through its methodical execution, and culminating in the psychological and moral consequences for the perpetrators. The conflict is often internal or interpersonal, centered on guilt, greed, and the fragility of the deceptive reality they've built.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the 'how' of a con rather than just the 'what'. They prioritize a steady, almost procedural pacing, a morally ambiguous tone, and a central dynamic between flawed characters whose partnership is essential to the骗局's success and eventual unraveling.

Movies with bittersweet moral consequences like Lijmen/Het been

Stories where characters face the sobering consequences of their ethical compromises.For viewers who appreciated the bittersweet ending and themes of remorse in Lijmen/Het been, this thread collects films about moral failure and its complex aftermath. These stories explore the weight of unethical choices, leading to conclusions that are neither fully happy nor tragic, but reflective and emotionally resonant.

melancholicreflectivemorally ambiguousremorsefulsombercharacter-drivenregret

Narrative Summary

The journey in these films involves a central character or duo making a significant moral compromise for gain. The narrative explores the initial success of this choice, but gradually shifts focus to the psychological and emotional fallout. The conclusion is typically bittersweet, offering a degree of closure or personal insight for some characters, while acknowledging that certain losses and moral stains are permanent.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their exploration of morality's gray areas and their preference for a bittersweet emotional resolution. They share a melancholic, reflective tone, a medium to heavy emotional weight, and a narrative structure that allows time for characters to contemplate the price of their actions.

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Lijmen/Het been Summary

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