Tricked

The 55-minute film they arrived at, which immediately follows the documentary, is happily everything that the documentary is not: thrilling, cogent, beautifully structured and paced, and often hilarious, packed with intrigues, multiple ironies, and plot twists that are served up with Verhoeven’s characteristic cheerful vulgarity… This isn’t quite major Verhoeven, but I’ve rarely seen 55 minutes of storytelling put to better purpose.

A serrated rhythm accompanied by a convincing cast makes for a simple but utterly enjoyable viewing experience whose peculiar history only adds to the little wonder this new Verhoeven film is. Screened at the Rome Film Festival alongside the featurette Paul’s Experience, detailing the making of the film, Tricked reveals a director comfortable working on opposite ends of the filmmaking spectrum.

As ever, the paradox of Mr. Verhoeven’s style is that it seems to wallow in tastelessness and transgression even as he remains one of the most classical movie craftsmen. “Tricked” demonstrates how vomit, voyeurism and a scissor-stabbing can act as ingredients in the lightest of screwball confections.