Kidnapping Freddy Heineken

RELIANCE HOME VIDEO, Rs 599

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Sam Worthington, Jim Sturgess, Ryan Kwanten
Director: Daniel Alfredson

“Two ways a man can be rich in this world; he can be rich or have friends, but not both.” Wise words spoken by beer magnate Alfred Henry ‘Freddy’ Heineken to one of his abductors when he was kidnapped and kept in solitary confinement.

Anthony Hopkins stars as Freddy Heineken in this action feature adaptation of his true life kidnapping. The story is rather simple. The five friends and colleagues Cor Van Hout (Jim Sturgess) and Willem Holleeder (Sam Worthington), along with Jan Cat Boellard (Ryan Quanten), Frans ‘Spikes’ Meijer (Mark Van Eeuwen) and Martin ‘Brakes’ Erkamps (Thomas Cocquerel) after being declined a business loan at a bank, dream up a wild and bizarre way to make easy money.

Between the 9th and 30th of November 1983, the cash-strapped childhood buddies kidnap the owner of Dutch beer brand Heineken and his driver at gunpoint in broad daylight on the streets of Amsterdam.

The five hold him for ransom, making a demand which at that time was regarded as the highest ransom — 35 million Dutch guilders (about 16 million Euros) — ever paid for such a crime. His captors spend hours bickering and whining about what to do next with the billionaire and his driver who is kept in an adjoining room. Days turn into weeks, and with no immediate offer of payment forthcoming, the group is in a predicament as to what next to do.

The story then follows how the police tried to catch the kidnappers, the daring execution of the ransom and the ultimate finale. The crime was reported for weeks in newspapers and around the world, with the kidnappers taking care of their prisoners outside of their regular working hours. The police sadly had no clue that the kidnappers were in fact lurking around in their backyard.

Hopkins is strong in the few scenes where he portrays the angry, confused beer baron. The rest of the cast give good performances keeping with their involvement in the story.

This is a very good suspenseful action thriller. A typical kidnapping movie, unpredictable at times, but very entertaining, too. Sadly there are no Bonus Features to this DVD.