Renée Soutendijk Movies
A former Olympic athlete, Amsterdam-born Renee Soutendijk began her film career in Germany. The blonde, powerfully built young actress scored a hit playing loose-cannon "heroines" in a brace of Paul Verhoeven-directed cult films, Spetters (1980) and The Fourth Man (1983). Soutendijk's first English-language assignment was as Eva Braun in the made-for-TV Inside the Third Reich. Her subsequent TV movie roles included Anna Mons in Peter the Great (1986) and Mrs. Simon Weisenthal in Murderers Among Us (1987). Ever seeking out off-the-beam film roles, Renee Soutendijk has also played the title character in Eve of Destruction (1991), her first American film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 2008
As the third big screen adaptation of a popular youth novel by author Carry Slee to be produced by Maria Peters and directed by Dave Schram (the other two, Afblijven and Timboektoe, were shot in 2006 and 2007 respectively), Radeloos plunges into the turbulent waters of teen melodrama. Marius Gottlieb and Marloes van der Wel star as two close friends, both 17 years old. He's a troubled adolescent, moonlighting as a disc jockey, who falls prey to alcoholism following the death of his father; she's a misunderstood young woman, stricken by a severe eating disorder, who harbors an unexpressed love for the DJ. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marius Gottlieb, Marloes Van Der Wel, (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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jaap Spijkers, Renée Soutendijk, (more)
- 1996
Filmed on location in Holland, the made-for-cable The Little Riders is set during the wartime Nazi occupation of that country. Living with her Dutch grandparents in the village of Kirkendam, American-born Joanne Hunter (Noley Thornton) is a helpless bystander in the real-life drama being played out between the locals and German occupational officer Captain Kessel (Malcolm McDowell). Grimly determined to break down any and all resistance to the Nazis, Kessel is prepared to destroy the villagers' most cherished possession: He intends to dismantle the six lead statues--or "little riders"--which revolve hourly on Kirkendam's 300-year-old clock tower, and melt them down for bullets. Intensifying the situation is the growing relationship between Joanne and Lt. Braun (Benedick Blythe), a conscience-stricken German officer billeted in her grandparents' home. Paul Scofieldheads the cast as the clock's caretaker, who also happens to be the head of the resistance movement--not to mention Joanne's grandfather. The Little Riders debuted March 24, 1996, over the Disney Channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Scofield, Noley Thornton, (more)
- 1994
A professional woman falls in love with a potentially murderous neighbor in her apartment building in this gripping Dutch thriller. Roos, a divorcee doctor with a young son, has just moved into her ultra-modern apartment beside the sea. One of her first visitors is Eric, an attractive copywriter who shares his suspicions that fellow tenant and housekeeper for Roos may be in danger. Sure enough, the housekeeper is found murdered in her apartment. Meanwhile, Roos is being harassed by an obscene caller. Unbeknownst to her, she is also being spied upon by a binocular toting peeper. Eric becomes buddies with her son Davy. Soon he tries to buddy up to her, and despite the warnings of other tenants, finds herself equally attracted to him. Eric is arrested as a suspect for the housekeeper's murder and also on the suspicion that he killed his wife and Roos begins to feel paranoid. Her fear increases when another woman in the building is found strangled. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Renée Soutendijk, Victor Löw, (more)
- 1992
A vigilante (Anthony LaPaglia) who is systematically killing the crime lords in control of the Chicago mob crosses paths with a veteran detective (Louis Gossett Jr.) in this made-for-cable thriller. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louis Gossett, Jr., Anthony LaPaglia, (more)
- 1992
It seems that misdeeds by inhabitants of the Dutch provinces make for believable stories, whether they are mysteries by Willem van de Wettering, or psychological thrillers by Simon Vestdijk, who wrote the book this film is based on. In the story, set in the 1950s, Hendrik Grond (Gijs Scholten van Aschat) has a good law practice, and a happy marriage which has produced a son. He is so contented that his world is completely shattered when, undetected, he catches his wife in bed with his law firm's senior partner. In fact, he has become quietly unhinged, and he arranges a series of "accidents" to ensure his revenge - becoming involved in the local underworld in the process. Will he succeed in committing a series of "perfect" crimes, or will the police inspector (Johan Simons) investigating these incidents get wise? ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gijs Scholten van Ashat, Renée Soutendijk, (more)
- 1990
In this provocative drama, the young son of a Holocaust survivor searches for the answers to many painful questions about the great tragedy when he is cast as Hungarian-Jewish poet Miklos Radnoti for an upcoming film. The young man is a Method actor and as he researches his role he becomes so engrossed in the life of the poet, who was killed in a Jewish labor camp, that he begins to lose his identity. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Sarandon, Renée Soutendijk, (more)
- 1989
Martin (Marius Muller Westernhagen) is an Australian tourist forced to land in Hamburg in this routine thriller. He is mistaken for a notorious hitman and is pursued by the authorities. With help from the darling Dutch woman Juliane (Renee Soutendjik), the two are chased through the city by the thugs and the law. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marius Müller-Westernhagen, Renée Soutendijk, (more)
- 1989
Ben Kingsley stars as Simon Weisenthal, an Austrian Jew who is interred in the Malthausen concentration camp during World War II. When the camp is liberated, it is Weisenthal's eyewitness testimony, coupled with sketches that he's made of the many Nazi atrocities, that leads to the capture of Malthausen's escaped commandants. Weisenthal goes on to join the American War Crimes unit, collecting evidence for the Nuremberg trials. Eventually he dedicates his life to tracking down Nazi war criminals, at great personal cost to himself and his wife (Renee Soutendjik). His most daunting task is to convince his daughter (Louisa Haigh) that he is pursuing justice, not vengeance. Made for HBO, Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story premiered April 22, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
The two-part King of the Olympics was released during the 1988 Summer Olympic games. David Selby stars as Avery Brundage, the 19th century sports enthusiast who spearheaded the movement to revive the Olympic games in modern times. We all know the outcome, so there's really no necessity to sit through the film's wearisome four hours. For the record, Part One of King of the Olympics finds Brundage running up against obstacle after obstacle in realizing his dream--and wooing and winning several young ladies along the way. So, for that matter, does Part Two. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Part One of the made-for-TV King of the Olympics recounted the efforts of Avery Brundage (David Selby) to mount the first modern Olympic contest of 1896. Part Two re-recounts what we've already seen. While the rare film clips of the pre-20th century games are fascinating, the surrounding story is a four-hour yawnfest. The full title of this top-heavy effort was King of the Olympics: The Lives and Loves of Avery Brundage, which frankly promised more than it could (or would) deliver. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
This Polish political melodrama examines the days leading up to the German invasion of Poland and centers upon two newlyweds. The husband is Uruguayan and comes from German-English parents. The woman is British. They have come to Poland to do some family business and end up visiting a good friend's country estate. There the woman is thrown from a horse and is critically wounded. Though her body heals, her mind is damaged. Her husband's cruelty toward her makes matters worse. The husband then learns that his factory is working with Germany as it plans a Polish invasion. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julian Sands, Renée Soutendijk, (more)
- 1987
A very strange advertisement appeared in the personals section of The Village Voice in 1985. It offered to trade lives for one whole month. That is, each of the parties involved would inhabit the other's life completely. This movie is based on the screenwriter's idea of what might have transpired had that trade taken place in the Netherlands. In this amusing drama, Liesbeth is a masterful mother and wife who tends to her two boys and teen-aged girl with great affection and competence, while deferring to her psychiatrist husband for all major decisions. She fears she may be missing something, and at the urging of her husband, she places a "life-swapping" ad. All goes well until her husband learns that she has made her decision about whose life to swap with without consulting him. At first, the psychiatrist and his children are distressed to be cared for by a zany single woman writer who wears bright makeup and clothes and doesn't coddle anybody, but eventually the ice breaks, and they develop some affection for one another. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Renée Soutendijk, Monique Van de Ven, (more)
- 1986
aka: Flies in the Light Although it is stylistically developed and refined, this thriller does not live up to its name since any "thrills" are sacrificed for the look and feel of B-movies in moods, sets, and camerawork. The plot wanders around in several directions at once but in a general sense, it is motivated by a pricey painting and those who would like to own it. A sophisticated art thief steals this painting from display in an art gallery and then has to turn around and steal it away from the site of a religious cult. Set up to recall mystery thrillers like The Maltese Falcon, Motten im Licht is a good formal imitation but would need a Dashiell Hammett to bring it up to par. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Director Guido Pieters adapted this drama from an original work by the great Dutch playwright Herman Heijermans, which debuted in 1900. Pieters and scriptwriter Karin Loomans begin with the basic story: Kniertje (Kitty Courbois) is a widow who lives in a small fishing village and has lost her husband and two sons to the sea. She is now raising her remaining children alone. One of the prominent citizens in the village is a ship owner by the name of Clemens Bos (Rijk de Gooyer) and in this version, his daughter falls in love with Kniertje's youngest son Barend (Danny de Munk). Barend and his romance with Bos' daughter Mathilde (Willeke van Ammelrooy) move to center stage, transforming Heijermans' play in the process. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kitty Courbois, Danny de Munk, (more)
- 1985
Hal Holbrook stars in this TV pilot film as Colonel Calvin Turner, a special operative for the OSS during World War II. Working in cooperation with British intelligence, Turner's mission is to uncover atomic weapon secrets at a Nazi plant in occupied Norway. The task permits him time for a bit of dalliance with the lovely Anne Twomey. David McCallum and Ray Sharkey costar in this uneven location-filmed adventure caper, first broadcast December 29, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hal Holbrook, Maryam D'Abo, (more)
- 1985
Set in 1941 in Amsterdam, this is a story of humanity -- specifically, Otto (Gerard Thoolen) the Jewish owner of an ice-cream shop, his best friend Gustav (Bruno Ganz), and his friend Trudi (Renee Soutendijk) -- facing the dangers of an escalating war and the specter of fascism. The outgoing, fun-loving Otto came to Amsterdam from Berlin, and while his shop is a focus for anti-Nazi activists, Otto also cares about making good ice cream and supplying his customers with the best pastries he can manage. When his friend Gustav is on leave from the army for awhile, he spends some time with Otto and falls in love with Otto's friend Trudi. As conditions and the environment around them fluctuate and change, the three friends react differently. But it is certain that Otto's gatherings of anti-Nazi activists are not going to be unnoticed for long -- and whether he is fully aware of it or not, the prognosis is not good.
~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gerard Thoolen, Bruno Ganz, (more)
- 1984
This chilling made-for-cable production stars winsome Amanda Pays as a prissy English college student who accompanies her estranged father (George Segal) to East Germany in an attempt to reconcile their differences. Shortly after her arrival, she begins to experience intense feelings of cold and dread in their flat -- which eventually progress into strange mental fugues wherein she is apparently transported to the era of Nazi occupation. As her perception of the present begins to unravel, she is thrust into a harrowing adventure involving a young anti-Nazi activist who is being hunted by Hitler's SS. Whether these time-slips are a product of her deteriorating sanity or the result of an actual rift in time is never fully explained -- until the effective climax, in which the parallel storylines intersect. Despite a few vague stretches and some unresolved plot holes, this is overall a well-crafted thriller which plays like a slick feature-length episode of The Twilight Zone. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Segal, Amanda Pays, (more)
- 1984
A stuck elevator is used as an allegory for modern German society in this provocative drama. Within the motionless box are four very different people. One is a light-fingered young courier, and another is an embezzler, while the other two are an unhappy couple on the verge of a breakup. Making it worse is the fact that the elevator seems to have a nasty mind of its own. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Götz George, Renée Soutendijk, (more)
This stylish erotic thriller gained a cult following for its frank treatment of bisexuality, bizarre visuals, and an extremely sexy performance by Renee Soutendijk as a woman who may or may not have killed her three previous husbands. Jeroen Krabbe is terrific as the intended fourth, a broken-down bisexual writer who is pulled into Soutendijk's web like an unsuspecting fly. Bloody and erotic, De Vierde Man will also interest fans of director Paul Verhoeven, who returned to many of the same themes in his smash American hit Basic Instinct. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeroen Krabbé, Renée Soutendijk, (more)
- 1983
In spite of exceptional acting on the part of Kitty Courbois as An Bloem, and the young women playing An's daughters, Renee Soutendijk and Marina de Graaf, this story -- about a woman who leaves her boring husband for independence and takes up with a younger and wealthier man only to lose him to her eldest daughter -- is a bit too fractured cinematically to hold together well. The frenetic movement from one sequence to the next is hard to follow. An Bloem was director Peter Oosthoeks's first feature-length film after staging more than 100 plays and is based on a play by the same name. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kitty Courbois, Rijk de Gooyer, (more)
- 1982
The two-part TV movie Inside the Third Reich was based on the extraordinary revelatory (if self-serving) autobiographical book by Albert Speer. Played herein by Rutger Hauer, Speer is a young man of privilege in pre-Hitler Germany who happens to be a brilliant architect. Becoming a member of Hitler's inner circle, Speer is appointed the Nazi regime's master builder. According to this film, Speer is egomaniacal and ambitious, but somewhat blinded to the inherent evils of Nazism. Though he'd later claim to be ignorant of Hitler's horrific policies aimed at the Jews, he was certainly aware of the use of Jewish prisoners as slave labor: as Germany's armaments minister during World War II, Speer exploited these enslaved unfortunates as much as anyone, if not more so. The cast includes Derek Jacobi as Hitler, Blythe Danner as Speer's wife Margarethe, John Gielgud as Speer's father, Ian Holm as Goebbels, Maurice Roeves as Hess, and George Murcell as Goering. Originally running 5 hours, Inside the Third Reich was filmed in Munich; it was first telecast on May 9 and 10, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
