Abel

This movie is one of the best dutch movies of all times. Not a storyline with a hero, lots of action and beautiful women in it, but a sort of anti-hero who lives with his parents and does not know who to behave in the mature world. When you see the parents, you will understand why.

You have to understand dutch absurd humor, but I really do not know anyone who did not like the movie, most of the people I know love it, except maybe for my late grandparents. See it and you will love it! Also the fact that this Van Warmerdam's first movie, should give him all the respect he deserves.

Abel is a little bit absurdistic, strange and unreal. But other parts a very recognizable. The film smells like Fellini and sounds like Monty Python, but it is a very dutch product. You won't see any tulips or windmills, but when you have a dutch background you will understand most of the jokes and events. I suggest you just sit back and enjoy it. The story is amusing and the development of the characters is interesting untill the end. The art-direction, the whole atmosphere of the movie is very nice and also reminds me of Fellini. A Dutch classic.

one of best and very dutch movie wit action romance adventure and phantasy in a very dry dutch way fantastic superb portrait of dutch landscape and people

Wonderful surreal comedy of Dutch (bad) manners, with superb playing through the entire cast of eccentrics, misfits and lunatics. Olga Zuiderhoek is excellent as the implacably doting mother Duif, obsessed with fertility and sabotaging all her husband's schemes to get their son Abel to lead a "normal" life. But the film is made by Henri Garcin as (the possibly ironically named) husband Victor, whose descent into madness is delightfully reminiscent of Herbert Lom's Inspector Dreyfus.

Only Annet Malherbe's Zus lets the side down, passive and accepting of her place on her admirers' pedestals, more cipher than Circe. Maybe her line that "all women like to be watched" seemed profound thirty years ago; not so much now.

I love this film. I always have, since first seeing it some fifteen or so years ago. It is SERIOUSLY weird, but absolutely hilarious. Being in Dutch probably helped! Surreal scenery also helped with the mood of this wonderful film. The opening scenes nearly put me off, but after a while you realise it assists in the strange and weird world of Alex v W!!! De Noorderlingen is another of his and is also a very funny and odd little film.....maybe i just like this serious looking fellow's decidedly wry eye on the world.

I urge anyone to see this film, but more than that, i urge anyone who knows where i can buy a copy to tell me where from. I had it on video for years but it's worn out!