Kees de Jongen is the story of an eleven year old boy, living in the center of the city of Amsterdam. The story is set in the early 20th century. Kees has a big imagination, so we see him fantasize about a lot of situations. His family is poor, he is shy, his grandparents suck. Over all the movie has a nice look, and the director has tried to make the surroundings look as good as possible with minimal means. One of the things this movies lacks is: normal dialogue. Everybody says three lines and looks really serious and meaningful while doing so. Is this theatre?? Furthermore I would never take my child to see a movie that deals with the death of a father, being poor and having to wear old clothes all the time.
The Netherlands seem out of original ideas for children movies these days, producers rather pick a nostalgic tale and try to gain easy success during the holiday season. This movie is made with the support of some men in their fifties, having fond memories of their experience reading the book. Most of them seem to have some influence, as bridges and streets in the city center of Amsterdam are being named after the author of the book and its main characters. All in all, I find the film a mediocre effort. My guess is most children will find it a bit of a bore as did I.
I'll rate it 2 on a scale of 5
