Kidnapping Freddy Heineken

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Kidnapping Freddy Heineken
Kidnapping Freddy Heineken.jpg
U.S. theatrical release poster
Directed by Daniel Alfredson
Screenplay byWilliam Brookfield
Based onKidnapping Freddy Heineken
by Peter R. de Vries
Produced byJudy Cairo
Howard Meltzer
Michael A. Simpson
Starring Anthony Hopkins
Sam Worthington
Jim Sturgess
Ryan Kwanten
CinematographyFredrik Bäckar
Edited by Håkan Karlsson
Music by Clay Duncan
Lucas Vidal
Production
companies
European Film Company
Informant Europe SPRL
Umedia
Distributed by Alchemy
A Plus Films
Signature Entertainment
Release dates
  • 18 January 2015 (2015-01-18)(Netherlands)
  • 3 April 2015 (2015-04-03)(United Kingdom)
Running time
95 minutes
CountriesUnited Kingdom
Netherlands
LanguageEnglish

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. [1]

Contents

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 face difficulties due to a 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 telephone 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 when leaving their apartment. According to the final headline Freddy Heineken died in 2003; he actually died in 2002.

Cast

Production

Filming began in Belgium in October 2013. [2] Most of the outside action scenes were filmed on location in Amsterdam.

Reception

Kidnapping Mr. Heineken received generally unfavourable reviews from critics. The film has a 33/100 score at Metacritic [3] and a 19% score at Rotten Tomatoes. [4]

The Los Angeles Times commented, "Despite its true-events pedigree, Kidnapping Mr. Heineken is woefully captive to B-movie crime saga tropes." [5]

Variety wrote, "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." [6]

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "By the time the relatively brief but seemingly interminable proceedings reach their conclusion, viewers may feel like they've been held hostage themselves." [7] 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." [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddy Heineken</span> Dutch businessman

Alfred Henry "Freddy" Heineken was a Dutch businessman for Heineken International, the brewing company bought in 1864 by his grandfather Gerard Adriaan Heineken in Amsterdam. He served as chairman of the board of directors and CEO from 1971 until 1989. After his retirement as chairman and CEO, Heineken continued to sit on the board of directors until his death and served as chairman of the supervisory board from 1989 till 1995. At the time of his death, Heineken was one of the richest people in the Netherlands, with a net worth of 9.5 billion guilders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter R. de Vries</span> Dutch investigative journalist and reporter (1956–2021)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cor van Hout</span> Dutch criminal

Cornelis (Cor) van Hout was a Dutch criminal and mastermind of the kidnapping of beer magnate Freddy Heineken.

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<i>The Heineken Kidnapping</i> 2011 film

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References

  1. ↑ "Veel animo voor onaffe Heineken-film in Cannes". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 14 May 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
    - "Was Mastroianni maar een biermerk". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 15 May 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
    - "Anthony Hopkins wordt Freddy Heineken". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 12 May 2013.
    - "Hopkins gaat Heineken spelen". NOS (in Dutch). 12 May 2013.
    - "Anthony Hopkins speelt Heineken in nieuwe film over ontvoering". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). 13 May 2013.
    - "Sir Anthony Hopkins set to film Heineken kidnap movie". BBC News . 9 October 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  2. ↑ McNary, Dave (8 October 2013). "Jim Sturgess, Sam Worthington, Ryan Kwanten Joining 'Freddy Heineken'". Variety. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  3. ↑ "Kidnapping Mr. Heineken Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "Kidnapping Mr. Heineken". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Abele, Robert (5 March 2015). "Review: 'Kidnapping Mr. Heineken' brews up a B-movie crime tale". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  6. ↑ Foundas, Scott (5 March 2015). "'Kidnapping Mr. Heineken' Review: An Abduction of Your Time and Money". Variety .
  7. ↑ "'Kidnapping Mr. Heineken': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . 4 March 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  8. ↑ Reed, Rex (4 March 2015). "Rex Reed Reviews 'Kidnapping Mr. Heineken'". The New York Observer . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
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