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MAMIL movie - Mont Ventoux stars in Dutch mid-life crisis comedy (+ video trailer)

Story follows four friends who reunite to tackle iconic climb in Provence 30 years after they first rode up it

Alpe d’Huez may be the Tour de France climb that has a bend nicknamed Dutch Corner, but it’s another iconic mountain that often features in the race that is the subject of a new film from the Netherlands, called Ventoux.

The film follows four 50-something men taking on the mountain nicknamed the Giant of Provence, recreating an ascent they first did on road bikes 30 years earlier. In doing so, they discover themselves and also lay to rest some ghosts from the past, as far as we can work out.

They’re joined at some point by a female friend for their youth, named Laura – perhaps by coincidence, the same name as the muse of the 14th Century Italian poet, Petrarch, the first man to climb Mont Ventoux, or at least write about the experience.

Billed as a bittersweet comedy addressing issues of mid-life crisis and lost youth, it comes across as a bit like Sideways with bikes instead of wine – or perhaps as well as wine, given we’re in the South of France. 

Based on a bestselling novel by Bert Wagendorp, the film is directed by Nicole van Kilsdonk and is released in the Netherlands in mid-May. Here’s the trailer.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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6 comments

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chokofingrz | 9 years ago
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The Germans have made a cycling film too, it's more CTC-brigade than MAMILs, more poignant and frankly it looks better.

http://www.trailerseite.de/film/14/hin-und-weg-kino-trailer-28781.html

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Colin Peyresourde | 9 years ago
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Looks great! Sounds double dutch to me though.....

I'll get me coat.

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philly | 9 years ago
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any subtitles?!

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Paul J | 9 years ago
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Hmm, could be good. Retro bikes and jerseys are always nice to look at anyway. Will go and buy the book!

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Doper | 9 years ago
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"it comes across as a bit like Sideways"

Haha, they've even used an old Saab 900 Convertible!  10

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Airzound | 9 years ago
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It's in Dutch. No subtitles. It's going to be real box office hit!

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