Baantjer: The beginning (2019)

Directed by: Arne Toonen | 111 minutes | action, crime | Actors: Waldemar Torenstra, Tygo Gernandt, Lisa Smit, Fedja van Huêt, Robert de Hoog, Jelka van Houten, Ruben van der Meer, Horace Cohen, Guido den Broeder, Peter Bolhuis, Ryanne van Dorst, Loes Luca, Mads Wittermans, Bas Keijzer Tim Murck, Lindsay Zwaan, Wing Poon, Peter Rene, Niels Nijsmans, Jorn Pronk

If there’s one thing that’s been on the rise in the film world in recent years, it’s the origin story. People apparently need more depth from their heroes. It’s nice to learn how the development of their beloved character has gone. Batman, Hannibal Lecter, Darth Vader, the X-Men, we’ve all been able to see them all in their younger days, which helps us understand the character even better. So it’s a good idea to give Dutch favorite detective, De Cock, some background. Director Arne Toonen set to work with the screenplay written by Willem Bosch, Carl Joos and Thijs Römer and cast Waldemar Torenstra in the lead role.

‘Baantjer het Begin’ is set around the coronation of Princess Beatrix in the spring of 1980. Thirty-year-old Jurre de Cock has successfully applied for a position at the Warmoesstraat police station in Amsterdam. He is paired up with seasoned police officer Tonnie Montijn (Tygo Gernandt) and while the two get along, they are diametrically opposed in terms of how the job should be done. De Cock is brimming with ambition and good intentions, Montijn likes to make things as easy as possible for himself and has acquaintances and friends everywhere, including in the Amsterdam underworld.

According to their boss, the chance of an attack during the coronation is very high and all agents must do everything they can to ensure that the ceremonies run smoothly. But the overzealous De Cock discovers a corpse in the canal, creating a snowball effect. Although the traces point to a large drug trade and that is actually not that much of a priority right before the coronation, the two detectives manage to investigate the case further.

‘Baantjer the beginning’ looks away wonderfully. The film is smooth and dynamic and the atmosphere is very well struck. You immediately imagine yourself in the Amsterdam of the eighties, whether or not you consciously experienced that period. The city is filthy and infested with drug addicts, whore runners and squatters. The film is based on the tension between De Cock and Montijn and there are hardly any other actors in these roles: Waldemar Torenstra has exactly the right appearance; you immediately believe that he wants to improve the world and will do anything for it. However, he is not dull and good, because when Tonnie’s sister Pien comes into the picture, De Cock shows himself from a different side. Tygo Gernandt is also excellently cast. He plays a character (always dressed in Bill Cosby-esque sweaters and with a bold accent) who, thanks to his charm, easily wraps you around his fingers, while at the same time you have the feeling that he doesn’t show the back of his tongue. Can you trust him?

Unfortunately, ‘Baantjer het begin’ loses focus a bit in the last part, but the film nevertheless remains fascinating. With this reboot, Baantjer is ready to engage a new generation. The original TV series (based on the books by Appie Baantjer) ran for no less than twelve seasons. It remains to be seen whether the cast and crew will want to stay connected to this project for that long, but if the announced series is as entertaining as this film, the audience will certainly be happy to watch it.