Kim van Kooten Movies
A married couple deal with a crushing loss in a way that's both funny and deeply sad in this comedy-drama from director, screenwriter and star Stanley Tucci. Don (Tucci) and his wife Janna (Patricia Clarkson) meet every night in the same shabby nightclub where Don performs a humorously shambolic magic act. Don and Janna's relationship has been on the verge of collapse since the death of their daughter, and they're trying to reconnect with each other through role playing, so each evening they pretend they're meeting for the first time on a blind date after discovering one another through personal ads. Sometimes they assume characters that are openly confrontational, while other times they try to bring a sweetness and intimacy back into their lives, but more often than not their struggle to reclaim the love they knew ends in confusion and frustration. Blind Date was adapted by Tucci and screenwriter David Schechter from Theo Van Gogh's 1996 film of the same name; it was the second in a series of remakes of Van Gogh's films (following Steve Buscemi's Interview) created in response to Van Gogh's assassination by political extremists in 2004. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, (more)
Larry (Burt Reynolds) is a middle-aged, ex-hippie, second-hand bookstore owner who has settled into a reclusive existence following his arrival in Amsterdam 30-years-ago. The appearance of a girl who resembles a lost-love from long ago sparks a vitality that slowly brings the intelligent but curmudgeonly hermit out of his shell. His memory and youth reinvigorated as he enters into a fond friendship with the likeable Aisha (Carmen Chaplin), Larry is flooded with memories as he begins to recapture the carefree optimism of his youth. Quickly invited to attend a party in which Aisha celebrates her coming of age, an elated Larry is transported back to his happier days in Morocco and soon finds that love may not be as elusive as he had previously thought. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Carmen Chaplin, (more)
- 2001
Two brothers who haven't spoken in years discover there are a great many things they don't know about each other in this dark drama. Luc (Jaap Spijkers) and his wife Mieke (Camilla Siegertsz) live in the Netherlands, where they were born and raised. Fifteen years before, Luc's brother Ad (Jack Wouterse) mysteriously disappeared, and no one has heard from him since, but one day Luc gets a surprising phone call informing him that Ad is alive and well and living in Belgium. Luc and Mieke quickly travel to Belgium to see Ad, though Mieke has some misgivings, since she's pregnant and due to give birth in a matter of weeks. Luc and Mieke discover than Ad and his wife Els (Renee Soutendijk) live in a tiny cottage in the woods, cut off from the world, and Ad has no particular interest in explaining what he's been doing for the fast decade and a half. Frustrated and wary of Ad and Els' shabby living conditions, Mieke soon returns home, but Luc stays on, hoping to rebuild his bridges with his brother. Time seems to only aggravate long-standing tensions between the brothers, which is not eased by the increasing rapport between Luc and Els. Before long, Luc begins hearing strange noises in the basement under Ad's hovel, and he discovers that Ad and Els have been hiding a terrible secret -- a deformed, almost feral boy who is kept in a cage like a wild animal. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jaap Spijkers, Renée Soutendijk, (more)
- 1999
Jezus is een Palestijn is a satire on the end of the century obsession with spirituality. The story follows Ramses Hans Teeuwen, a 25 year old member of a religious sect that uses piercing as its spiritual profession. For eight years, Ramses has been living like a hermit in an agricultural commune. Now he returns to Amsterdam to visit his dying father. His younger sister Natasja (Kim van Kooten of Little Sister fame) comes to pick him up. As soon as he leaves the commune, he falls in love with Lonneke (Dijn Blom, the roommate of his sister, and he has to make a choice between celibacy and relationship. He then finds out that his father isn't actually dying, and when faced with adult decision making, he has to consult his Guru. Director Lodewijk Crijns who is known for his fake documentaries Kutzooi and La Rouge, wanted to explore the motivation of a person who would convert to a new faith at a certain point in their life, which often is a point of crisis. The end result is a parody of fashion trends that pass as spirituality in our modern Western culture. Jezus is een Palestijn had its world premiere at the 1999 Rotterdam International Film Festival. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hans Teeuwen, Dijn Blom, (more)
- 1996
This Dutch drama offers insight into male-female relationships as it chronicles several encounters between a bereaved mother who just lost her young daughter and a middle aged man. The story takes place inside the lounge of the Amsterdam Hilton where the two go for alcohol and solace. At one time both of them were entertainers. He had a magic/comedy act and she was a tap dancer. The plot chronicles several of their conversations during different meetings. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peer Mascini, Renee Fokker, (more)
- 1995
This disturbing yet highly distinguished Dutch film follows the incestuous obsession of a young man attracted to his beautiful sister. Using a subjective camera, it is filmed from the perspective of the young man, Matthew, who in turn uses a camera to film his sister Daantje. The siblings haven't seen each other in years, and Daantje is not pleased to have her brother forcing his way into her life and filming her every move with his camera. It seems she and he share an uncomfortable secret, shown via Super-8 film in which their parents found them naked in bed on one of her birthdays. But film does not always tell the truth and later, when Daantje steals the camera away from Matthew, the reality of the little escapade is revealed. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
