Abel (1986)

Directed by: Alex van Warmerdam | 100 minutes | comedy | Actors: Alex van Warmerdam, Henri Garcin, Olga Zuiderhoek, Annet Malherbe, Loes Luca, Arend Jan Heerma van Voss, Anton Kothuis, Peer Mascini, Elmar Schiphorst, Marc van Warmerdam, Jan-Willem Hees, Jeroen Henneman, Mieke Verdin, Josse De Peacock, Otakar Votocek

‘Abel’ is Alex van Warmerdam’s first film, which he also wrote himself and in which he also plays the leading role. He has his own unexpected style which can also be seen in ‘Noorderingen’ (1992), ‘De Jurk’ (1996), ‘Kleine Teun’ (1998) and ‘Grimm’ (2003). Praised the fantasy that is present in all his films and how wonderful that it is possible to create a work of art like ‘Abel’ in the Netherlands. The ingredients: absurdity, love and fantasy are depicted in a slightly surreal or perhaps playful way and provide absolute viewing pleasure. The award with 2 Golden Calves for best director and film did not come out of the blue either. Statements such as the best Dutch film ever can be found on the internet, but also people who do not appreciate the absurd. However, watching is a surprise anyway.

In ‘Abel’ there are many influences from the theater world. Thus time and again the boundary of the unseemly is crossed. Daily events that are slightly more exciting than the normal are zoomed in enormously. It is still recognizable, but at the same time unrealistic. This is the power in this film: A boy who lives in the house and is afraid to go outside, an encounter with a sober stage actress where everything goes wrong and the tension can be felt through great discomfort, the provocative striptease girl who falls in love on Abel, a tense scene at the fishmonger. It is precisely this enormous narrowness that is driven to an absolute absurdity that makes it a very funny film. At the same time it is so Dutch, so close and yet so absurd. The viewer is drawn into the twists and turns of a storyteller who connects situation A with situation B even though A and B are in different dimensions.

An impressive and above all nice cast plays in this film. Loes Luca plays an amateur actress and is set up in such a way that you can’t really see her. Annet Malherbe as the great temptress is also the great temptress. Watching Van Warmerdam is also a lot of fun. It is unknown what will happen, what he will do and it is all innocent and charming. Just a sweet child. Olga Zuiderbroek and Henri Garcin play the parents of Abel and they are the parents. Stereotypes are really stereotypes here, but they also have their own lives which, however, build on his or her archetypal origin.

In conclusion, this is a great funny movie that makes the viewer feel alive. It’s beautiful, not at all realistic, but still very close. For those who like absurd, drama, Dutch film or surprises, ‘Abel’ is a must-see.