Paul de Leeuw, who plays both Bob and Annie de Rooij, is one of the most controversial Dutch comedians of this age. There's a large group of people who dislike what he does, but I guess there's a same number of people who can appreciate his humour. He mocks certain taboos, but because of that makes them discussable. The best known example was his very emotional 1992 show with Rene Klijn, an AIDS patient who died about a year later. Everywhere you went, you heard people talk about this show. It later won the Bronze Rose at the Montreux television festival.
'Filmpje' was to be the farewell to his great creations of Bob and Annie de Rooij. Fortunately for us he didn't quite keep his word. Every now and then we still see the characters appear on his TV shows, but not as often as we would like to see them. They're lovable in their own weird ways. Bob, because he's the selfish, obnoxious, racist and sexist one and just good fun. And Annie, because she's the kind, gentle and caring one, and even though Bob is just plain cruel to her, she loves him with all her heart. You just feel sorry for her.
In the TV shows Bob was in a coma, and Annie regularly visited him in hospital. After waking up from his coma, their marriage went down the drain, mainly because of Bob's sexual demands, which Annie cannot fulfill. The film starts at the courthouse where they are getting a divorce.
After leaving the courthouse, Annie wants to persuade Bob to take her back, and gives him two tickets for a tropical holiday on the island of Curaçao. But it doesn't go the way Annie planned. Bob goes there with someone else, the daughter of mafia boss Don Gorgonzola (Rijk de Gooyer) and leaves Annie with the kids in their newly built house. (which isn't finished yet) By accident, Annie takes home a lobster which is stuffed with drugs. Annie gets romantically involved with another man, but doesn't know he is part of the mafia organisation whose lobster she'd taken. Annie is unaware she is being used as a drug courier and flies to Curaçao. After a lot of confusion and action-scenes, in the end Bob and Annie meet again and Bob finds out Annie is still his one-and-only soulmate.
It isn't much of a story, but that's because most of the storyline was edited out. The preview audience preferred the Bob and Annie parts.
In my opinion, the TV shows are better. Maybe because Paul de Leeuw was able to improvise more, or 'Filmpje' isn't as impulsive and spontaneous. Like mentioned before, in some way 'Filmpje' can be compared to 'The Naked Gun' or the 'Austin Powers' films. Silliness because of silliness' sake, with lots and lots of cameos.
Finally some good news for Bob and Annie fans: Paul de Leeuw announced on his website (questions area, May 23rd, 2003) that around November 2003, a "Best of Bob & Annie" DVD will be released! Also 'Filmpje' will be released on DVD around that time.
