If you’re a fan of foreign language films, you know that they do not follow genre formulas typical of American films. So it is with “Moscow, Belgium,” an enjoyable offbeat love story that is emotionally rewarding and quite unique. It also showcases a wonderful performance by Barbara Sarafian, who manages to convey vulnerability, strength, and sensuality that never seem false. The story is set is a middle-class area near Ghent called ‘Mouscou,’ where 41-year-old Matty (Sarafian) works as a postal clerk. Her art teacher husband, Werner (Johan Heidenbergh), has moved out of their apartment and in with a much younger mistress, leaving Matty to care for their three children. While Matty waits for her husband to get over his mid-life crisis, she carries on with her life, her emotional turmoil displayed clearly on her face. After leaving a grocery store early in the film, Matty backs into a truck belonging to Johnny (Jurgen Delnaet) and her emotions explode. She’s so fiery that Johnny, quite smitten, comes to her apartment to fix her car for free and begins a romantic pursuit. Although Matty enjoys Johnny’s attentions, his stability is questionable and Werner may still decide to come home to his family. She wants her life to return to the way it was, doesn’t she?
Although “Moscow, Belgium” fits under the broad category of romantic comedy, it’s really more about Matty’s growth as a person, where she can envision a life without her jerk of a husband. And Serafian’s transformation is startling. She doesn’t ‘get pretty’ in the usual sense; she thaws from the inside out, going from haggard and bland to sensual and alive. By the end of the movie, you’re not sure if Matty has found true love, but you’re sure that she’s happy with the decision she’s made. Subtitles. 3/9/09
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