Where is the Big Book of Sinterklaas? (2019)

Directed by: Armando de Boer | 64 minutes | family | Actors: Carlo Boszhard, Irene Moors, Wilbert Gieske, Vic de Wachter, Maaike Martens, Mila Borgers, Soy Kroon, Anouk de Pater, Beryl van Praag, Florus Hoogslag, Job Bovelander, Rutger de Bekker, Aimée de Pater, Wim Schluter, Piet van der Pas, Bart van Roosmalen, Ronald Vledder

Besides a traditional Dutch tradition, Sinterklaas is of course just an ordinary commercial party. Shopkeepers, whether online or not, benefit from parents trying to spoil their children as much as possible. Supermarkets are cleverly taking advantage of this with an extensive range of sweets, chocolate and speculoos, which are already on the shelves before there is an R in the month. Of course, TV and film producers also want to get their share, so in addition to the ‘institute’ that the Sinterklaas news (NTR) has been for twenty years, a proliferation of Sinterklaas programs and films has arisen. The largest ‘franchise’ besides the Sinterklaas news is the Club of Sinterklaas, created in 1999 by the production team behind Telekids. For ten years, a soap series about Sinterklaas and his helpers was broadcast between the end of October and the beginning of December. Each season ended with a pop concert. Since 2012, the Sinterklaas Club has released a film every year. In the film series Wilbert Gieske (GTST) takes on the role of the saintly man and is assisted by, among others, Coole Piet (Job Bovenlander), Testpiet (Beryl van Praag), Muziekpiet (Wim Schluter), Profpiet (Piet van der Pas) and Junior Piet (Soy Kroon). Special guest in the eighth film, ‘Where is the big book of Sinterklaas?’ (2019) is the presence of none other than Santa Claus.

In all films and TV programs in which Sinterklaas is central, the arrival of Pakjesboot 12 or the holiday itself threatens to fall into the water. Sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances, but in the films of the Club van Sinterklaas it is always villains who try to stop the children’s party. In ‘Where is the big book of Sinterklaas?’ that’s no different. Here, too, a super villain shows up who tries to ruin Christmas Eve. The villain on duty is Guus Slim (Carlo Boszhard), a toy seller who has great difficulty with Sinterklaas giving away free toys. He sees all these children as potential customers. And so he hatches a nefarious plan: he steals the great book of Sinterklaas. Because that is of course packed with useful information that he can use to earn as much money as possible. When Sinterklaas discovers that his big book is gone, he has his hands in his long white hair. Because now he has no idea which child to deliver which present. It turns into a drama, because the packages are delivered to the wrong children. Teenagers are of course not happy with baby toys! As a last resort, Sinterklaas decides to call up the only other person in the whole world with a book as handy as his: Santa Claus (Vic de Wachter). But just when you think rescue is near, it turns out that Guus Slim has stolen his book too!

Where the Sinterklaas news is full of winks to current events and subtle jokes that also the watching parents can laugh about, the films of the Club van Sinterklaas focus mainly on the youngest target group. That means bold acting performances, funny people who make silly jokes and often fall back on slapstick. The Piets all have a gimmick; For example, Superpiet is super strong, Danspiet lets the legs speak a lot, well: fill in the rest yourself. Carlo Boszhard is a master of characters and goes into it here as well. It’s not subtle, but that way it is clear to the youngest viewers who the villain in this story is. Incidentally, Boszhard’s colleague Irene Moors can also be seen in a supporting role as a journalist. The story has little to say, but for children of about five or six you shouldn’t make it too complicated. For them, the threat of falling into the water on Saturday night is exciting enough! That Sint and his trusty horse (confusing that it is still/again here Amerigo, while the NTR has let him retire from horseback and nowadays calls on Ozosnel!) are being accompanied by Santa Claus and his reindeer here, is a nice fact, but not more than that. If only parents didn’t feel obliged to pull out their wallets at Christmas too!

‘Where is the big book of Sinterklaas?’ has little substance and the actors put their roles on fat. However, the young target group will not lose sleep over this and will know what to do with the antics of the Piets, the threat of villain Guus Slim and the meeting between the Saint and that other old man with a white beard!