Kidnapping Freddy Heineken

Kidnapping Freddy Heineken (U.S. title Kidnapping Mr. Heineken) is a 2015 British-Dutch crime drama film directed by Daniel Alfredson based on the 1983 kidnapping of Freddy Heineken. The screenplay, based on the 1987 book by Peter R. de Vries, was written by William Brookfield. The role of Freddy Heineken is played by Anthony Hopkins, with Sam Worthington as Willem Holleeder, Jim Sturgess as Cor van Hout, Ryan Kwanten as Jan Boellaard, Thomas Cocquerel as Martin Erkamps and Mark van Eeuwen as Frans Meijer.

Plot

The film takes place in 1983, primarily in Amsterdam and centres on a group of five Dutch friends: Willem Holleeder, Cor van Hout, Jan Boellard, Martin Erkamps and Frans Meijer. Looking for easy money, they decide to kidnap the Heineken owner and tycoon Freddy Heineken to achieve a very high ransom. Although capturing Heineken and his driver Ab Doderer successfully, the group eventually faces difficulties due to their lack of experience in crime. They fail to negotiate with the police, and Cor feels it is his duty to take care of his pregnant wife, Sonja. After Heineken is finally released by the police, Willem and Cor flee to Paris, where they plan to remain hidden. However, Cor experiences strong emotions to phone call Sonja, a dangerous action that could easily reveal their location to the police tracing. He is initially reluctant and has arguments with Willem, but ultimately gives in to his feelings and calls Sonja, resulting in Cor and Willem being arrested by the French police while leaving their apartment. According to the final headline Freddy Heineken died in 2003 (he died in 2002).

Cast
 Anthony Hopkins as Freddy Heineken
 Sam Worthington as Willem Holleeder
 Jim Sturgess as Cor van Hout
 Ryan Kwanten as Jan Boellard
 Jemima West as Sonja Holleeder
 Thomas Cocquerel as Martin Erkamps
 Mark van Eeuwen as Frans Meijer
 David Dencik as Ab Doderer
 Billy Slaughter as Junior Officer
 Eric Godon as The cop

Production
Filming began in Belgium in October 2013.

Reception
Kidnapping Mr. Heineken received generally unfavorable reviews from critics. The film holds a 33/100 score at Metacritic, and a 20% score at Rotten Tomatoes.

The Los Angeles Times commented: "Despite its true-events pedigree, Kidnapping Mr. Heineken is woefully captive to B-movie crime saga tropes."

Variety: "About as appealing as day-old beer littered with cigarette butts, the abysmal caper drama Kidnapping Mr. Heineken is one of those international co-productions produced for all the right tax-credit reasons and none of the right artistic ones."

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter: "By the time the relatively brief but seemingly interminable proceedings reach their conclusion, viewers may feel like they've been held hostage themselves." Conversely, Rex Reed of The New York Observer gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, and commented: "Anthony Hopkins plays the king of the hops, and he is excellent. So is the rest of the movie, a sober, no-frills account about the highest ransom ever collected up to that time—$10 million and counting."

References

External links
 
 

Category:2015 films
Category:2010s action drama films
Category:2010s crime drama films
Category:British action drama films
Category:British crime drama films
Category:British films
Category:Dutch films
Category:Action films based on actual events
Category:Crime films based on actual events
Category:Drama films based on actual events
Category:English-language films
Category:Films directed by Daniel Alfredson
Category:Films set in the Netherlands
Category:Films set in Amsterdam
Category:Films shot in Amsterdam
Category:Films about hostage takings
Category:Films set in 1983
Category:Films scored by Lucas Vidal
Category:Films based on non-fiction books
Category:Films based on works by Dutch writers