Alex van Warmerdam (1952 - )
"The most beautiful laugh is the uncomfortable laugh." -- Alex van Warmerdam
Related: Dutch art - film director
More films: Grimm (2003)
Annet Malherbe in Abel
Biography
Alex van Warmerdam (born August 14, 1952 in Haarlem) is a Dutch actor, director and writer. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_van_Warmerdam [May 2006]
Profile
Film-maker, writer, designer, director and actor Alex van Warmerdam was born on 14 August 1952 in Haarlem. After studying at the Graphic School he went on to train at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, and was co-founder of the legendary music-theatre company, Hauser Orkater. Since 1980 he has made ten theatre shows with his company, De Mexicaanse Hond (The Mexican Hound), including Graniet (Granite), Kaatje Is Verdronken (Katie has been drowned), Kleine Teun en Adel Blank. His collected theatre works and his novel De Hand van een Vreemde (The Hand of a Stranger) were published by Thomas Rap publishing house. Besides his many film prizes, he was awarded the prestigious Prins Bernhard Prize for Culture for his entire theatre and film oeuvre, the Albert van Dalsum Prize by the city of Amsterdam and the Dutch/Flemish Theatre Writers’ Prize.
At the end of the ‘70s, he wrote the script and the storyboard for the filming of Hauser Orkater’s Entree Brussels and Striptease, together with Jim van der Woude and director Frans Weisz. After the short film De Stedeling (The Townee), he made his first feature film, Abel, in 1986, followed by De Noordelingen (The Northerners), De Jurk (The Dress) and Kleine Teun (Little Tony) --http://www.granietfilm.nl/engalexvanwarmerdam.htm
Abel/The Voyeur (1986) - Alex Van Warmerdam
-
Abel (1986) aka The Voyeur - Alex Van Warmerdam
- mother smelling Abel's shirt on Zus
- het stinkt hier (Victor)
- arme mensen ruiken naar aardappelen
- eating fish all the time, many eating scenes
A black comedy delight about 32-year Abel, living with his parents and has not been outside his home for 10 years. When eventually ejected he is picked up by a voluptuous peepshow star with whom his father has been having an affair - leading to a major showdown. A weird and wonderful treat.
An extremely weird comedy revolving around the life of 31- year-old Abel, who has never left home (literally). After failing with doctors and psychiatrists, Abel's father Victor brings home Christine, a friend, in an attempt to teach Abel basic social skills. But Victor's wife Duif accuses him of having an affair, and in the ensuing row Abel is thrown out into the street. But help is at hand when he runs into kind-hearted stripper Zus - whose show Victor is obsessed with...--Summary written by Michael Brooke
Styled as if set in the fifties. Father references 1962 as last time they had a good time as a family. Records are played. Two cars both have a fifties look. Colour tv already exists. Note that the red cars are alwasy appear all three or four after one other.
Waarom is het leven niet normaal?/Why is life not normal? -Victor
Meisjes vinden het leuk om bespied te worden. --Zus
Vrouwen worden lelijk als ze ouder worden, mannen interessant [not verbatim]-- Victor
Fish are a recurring theme. Eating shrimps/salmon at breakfeast, fish pictures on wall, Abel's shirt featur fish, fish shop, father brings home lobster to make ammends
Senses
- Seeing
- smell
- taste
Color usage: Dark blue and green at parent's house and light hues and lots of red in Zus's place
Meanwhile, at Amazon
your Amazon recommendations