Off Screen (2005)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Pieter Kuijpers

Writer:

Hugo Heinen (writer)

Release Date:

3 February 2005 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

March 11th, 2002. John R. takes the head of security and 17 others hostage in Amsterdam biggest skyscraper...

Plot Keywords:

Amsterdam | Hostage | Skyscraper | Alternative Reality | Stabbed In The Chest

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Jeroen Krabbé	...	Gerard Wesselinck
Jan Decleir	...	John Voerman
Astrid Joosten	...	Herself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Theu Boermans	...	Leo Verkerk
Marjon Brandsma	...	Elly Voerman
Aat Ceelen	...	Colleague John
Chris Comvalius	...	Heleen Wagemakers
Sjoerd Dragtsma	...	Jongen in de bus
Turan Furat	...	Security guard
Janni Goslinga	...	Anna Voerman
Damien Hope	...	Youngster in bus
Robbie Kensmil	...	Security guard
Han Kerkhoffs	...	Driver of Mr. Wesselinck (as Han Kerckhof)
Emma Kuijpers	...	John's granddaughter
Stijn Kuijpers	...	John's grandson
Gijs de Lange	...	Paul Kruiswijck
Hans Leendertse	...	Leeuwenkamp
Ton Macco	...	Stand-in John
Doron Sajet	...	Reporter RTVNH
Truus te Selle	...	Secretary Mr. Wesselinck
Berith Stijfhoorn	...	Reporter SBS6
Wannie de Wijn	...	Colleague John
Carly Wijs	...	Jane Keppler

Also Known As:

Kleisterlee (Netherlands) (working title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Netherlands | Belgium

Language:

English | Dutch

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam Studio's, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

Rinkel Film & TV Productions BV

Creative nonsense

I saw this film screened at the 2006 Palm Springs International film Festival and Director Peter Kuipers was on hand to introduce the film and take Q&A after. This is an interesting film with two great acting performances by John Decleir and Jeroen Krabbé. The film begins with and is based on the true story of a 59 year old bus driver who was protesting the introduction by Phillips of widescreen TV's and resisting them as unnecessary technology being forced down the consumers throats. Armed and with a bomb in his briefcase he takes hostages in a building that Phillips had only temporarily been housed in and had moved out of six months before. The film then goes on to tell the fictional tale of the events that led the hostage taker to start a consumer guerrilla war by himself. Since the film is drawn from an actual event and then becomes fictitious you don't really know what is fiction and what is fact and what is real and what is imagined from the viewpoint of the central character and since the actual company name is used throughout the film it really throws you off. The real hostage taker who was identified by the Dutch press as only John R and in this movie as John Voerman, actually sent a communique about the reason for his actions that he was resisting "manipulation by sellers of widescreen television sets who were guilty of creative nonsense." Were he around today to see this film he might indeed find it as creative nonsense. I would rate this a 6.5 to a 7.0 on a scale of 10 and hope to view it someday on a widescreen TV.