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Since I come from a long line of industrious Dutch men and women, I know that I get my workaholism honestly. In fact, the motto that’s written beneath my family’s crest doesn’t talk about valor or strength or fortitude; it talks about hard work. The Dutch, after all, are known to be (among other things) incredibly diligent and hard-working people. And that’s what makes the Dutch film Win/Win such a surprise: because its message seems completely contrary to my Dutch nature.
Writer/director Jaap van Heusden’s first feature-length film stars Oscar Van Rompay as Ivan, a young man who works in investment banking in Amsterdam. Ivan lives in a tiny apartment and works with other fun-loving young men in the trenches, but he knows that he can do more. He has a head for numbers—and, after he starts leaving stock tips on Post-it notes around the office, his instincts finally earn him a chance to become a trader.
From the minute Ivan begins trading, he starts bringing in huge profits for his company, earning him a posh apartment and the attention of the company’s pretty receptionist, Deniz (Halina Reijn). He becomes engrossed in his job, working late hours to make even more money. But the more successful he becomes—the more he’s respected by his boss and his colleagues—the more he begins to distance himself from everything else.
For someone like me, who was raised with the old Dutch work ethic, Win/Win is definitely a surprise. The idea that there’s more to life than work—or that succeeding at work doesn’t necessarily make you successful in life—seems to contradict everything that my father and grandfather instilled in me since I was a kid. Of course, that’s not to say that the theme is new or unique—yet van Heusden’s take will still pull you in to experience the pressures, the emotions, and (most of all) the grim hopelessness of Ivan’s predicament.
Van Heusden fills the film with striking (and beautifully filmed) contrasts: Ivan’s warm and homey old apartment versus his cold and sleek and colorless new one, the noise and activity of Ivan’s work environment versus the almost oppressive silence and solitude of his empty personal life.
Ivan’s transformation, on the other hand, is so subtle that—like Ivan himself—you won’t realize how desperate his situation has become until it’s too late. In the beginning, Ivan is a pretty happy-go-lucky guy who jokes with his coworkers and finds real joy in his calculations. When he finally gets the job that he wants, though, he finds that it’s not what he imagined it to be. He feels pressure to succeed—and to keep succeeding—and the calculations he once took pleasure in become, well, work. His life, meanwhile, becomes as cold and bland as the upscale apartment that he receives as a reward for his hard work.
Like a lobster that’s slowly boiling to death, Ivan doesn’t notice that there’s anything wrong until he stops sleeping at night and starts wandering the streets of Amsterdam, searching for some kind of peace or happiness. Thanks to Van Rompay and his understated performance, viewers will go through the same process; you’ll find yourself mindlessly following along with Ivan until you suddenly realize just how dire his situation has become.
Win/Win is a film of contrasts and subtleties, of successes and failures. As you watch, you’ll experience every one of Ivan’s highs and lows: the buzz of his noisy work environment, the thrill of success, and the hopelessness of his lonely, sleepless nights. At times, it goes by so quickly that you’ll have a hard time keeping up with the details of Ivan’s job. At other times, it’s so quiet and grim that it’s exhausting. And, when it all comes to an end, you’ll most likely end up scratching your head over the deeper meanings and not-so-subtle symbolism. It’s a pretty bleak drama (and, thus, not exactly easy to sit through), but it’s beautifully done—and it might even make you stop and think about your own priorities.
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