Already a star on the stage, television and radio, as well as a recording artist, the early eighties saw André van Duin at the height of his popularity. The only thing left for the Dutch comedian to explore was the silver screen. And so he did, in the 1981 vehicle `Ik ben Joep Meloen'. He stars as Joep, a man on the brink of suicide when he finds out his childhood love is marrying another. About to jump into a canal, he meets another potential suicide victim, played by his usual partner in comedy, Corry van Gorp. It turns out her greatest ambition is to become a singer, just like Joep always wanted to become a songwriter!
If ever there was a Dutch film that could be considered a 'star vehicle', it is this one. The only reason to watch `Joep Meloen' is if you are a fan of André van Duin. The plot is just an excuse for him to bungle his way through various misadventures. Along the way he bumps into nearly everybody working in Dutch TV and film at that time, and the audience goes along with him all the way. Especially since he breaks the fourth wall a lot.
At this time in his career, André van Duin could do no wrong. All he had to do was pull a face and the whole audience would be in stitches. `Ik ben Joep Meloen' became a big hit in Holland and Belgium, and the song André sings near the end became a single. A year later he made another film, "De Boezemvriend", which was also very popular. After that however, he went back to radio and television, but never appeared in another movie. Perhaps he realized there was no international market for this kind of film.
Van Duin still does the same routines today, many of his fans having been replaced by a younger audience. He is still such a household name, that many seem to have forgotten `Joep Meloen' ever existed. Therefore, for old fans and new, the film is a nice way to remind us what a huge star André used to be.
7 out of 10
