Is Home Is Where Your Heart Is Worth Watching? Honest Movie Review & Audience Verdict (2017)

The Narrative Arc & Core Premise

Home Is Where Your Heart Is, a standout production of 2017, meticulously weaves its narrative threads through the Romance, Drama landscape, offering a cinematic experience that is as challenging as it is rewarding. The primary thematic concern of the film is an investigation into Axel is Dutch Surinamese, but after 20 years of living in the Netherlands he has become 100% Dutch. As the story unfolds, we are introduced to a world where the traditional boundaries of Romance, Drama are tested.

The screenplay takes its time to establish the stakes, ensuring that every character motivation is grounded in a psychological reality. The synopsis only hints at the depth: "Axel is Dutch Surinamese, but after 20 years of living in the Netherlands he has become 100% Dutch. He has married a Dutch girl, Victoria, and has never been back. When his free-spirited mother Gladys summons the family to her guesthouse in Surinam for Christmas and an important announcement, Axel, his wife and her sister Mirna reluctantly make the journey. They have barely arrived when the situation gets completely out of hand, with his brother Virgil winding him up and his daughter Wonnie, who is doing an internship in Paramaribo, admitting that she is pregnant..."

Artistic Execution & Performance Study

A film's resonance is often dictated by the strength of its execution, both in front of and behind the camera. In Home Is Where Your Heart Is, we see Edwin Jonker utilizing their established screen presence to carry the story forward. It is a solid, workmanlike performance that serves the director's vision without overshadowing the larger narrative goals.

The direction by Marc Waltman is marked by a steady and professional hand. From a production standpoint, the film meets the high standards of modern industrial filmmaking. The sets are well-crafted, and the visual effects are integrated with a level of polish that ensures the viewer matches the director's intended level of immersion. While perhaps not groundbreaking, the execution is flawless. The pacing, over its 110 minute runtime, allows the audience to fully inhabit the space the director has created, making the eventual resolution feel deeply earned.

Critical Assessment: Why You Should Watch

Is Home Is Where Your Heart Is truly worth your investment of time and attention? In an era of disposable content, this film makes a strong case for its existence. If you are a connoisseur of Romance, Drama, then this is a worthwhile watch if you have a specific interest in the themes or the performers involved.

The film's ability to perfectly execute its genre requirements is why it has earned its 5.2/10 score. It speaks to a global audience while maintaining a distinct and unique voice, a balance that is notoriously difficult to achieve in the modern marketplace.

Philosophical Subtext & Directorial Vision

At a deeper level, Home Is Where Your Heart Is explores the dichotomy of truth and perception. The 2017 audience is increasingly sophisticated, and Marc Waltman respects this by refusing to provide easy answers to the story's complex questions.

The philosophical underpinnings of the second and third acts suggest a narrative that is interested in more than just entertainment. It is an exploration of what it means to be human in an increasingly complex world.

Final Editorial Recommendation

Ultimately, Home Is Where Your Heart Is is an interesting experiment that, while flawed, offers enough moments of creative spark to be worth a casual glance for the curious. Whether you are drawn to it by the star power of Edwin Jonker or the critical acclaim surrounding its release, Home Is Where Your Heart Is is a film that demands to be seen on the largest screen possible.