European Films

The king of Dutch deadpan Alex van Warmerdam strikes again with the delightfully off-kilter Ober (Waiter), in which a fictional waiter (played with evident glee by the director himself) goes to complain about his miserable existence to his creator. Twenty years after his now-classic debut Abel, Van Warmerdam here proves that his unique combination of deadpan humour and quintessentially Dutch settings are still a winning team -- though one that could only be coached by the director himself. After the oddity that was Grimm (in which Van Warmerdam did not star) the actor-director is back in top form and his cult following at home and abroad might grow further if Ober is marketed well. Surface similarities to the work of Charlie Kaufman and Aki Kaurismäki should convince unfamiliar viewers to give Ober a try and they won’t be disappointed.

 

One of the film’s key scenes of Ober takes place about half an hour into the film, and not only perfectly explains the film’s dilemma, but also the way in which Van Warmerdam defies conventions and is always one step ahead of the audience. After a nasty fight with three businessmen -- who are regular customers -- ends with Edgar the hapless waiter (Van Warmerdam) facedown in the eatery’s aquarium, Edgar returns to the writer (Mark Rietman) who has created him to complain again: "I wanted to stand up against these guys and what did you give me? One lousy insult that got me into a fight! Who am I really? I’ve got no ambitions and no dreams". The writer, naked in bed with his pretty but busybody girlfriend (Thekla Reuten), tells Edgar he "has no purpose". "I’m a useless character, then," Edgar concludes, to which the writer answers: "No, not useless; a modern character!" Edgar groans: "A modern character? That’s so old hat! I’ve got a lot more to offer than you think!"

 

An oddity in the Dutch film landscape -- were deadpan, subtleness and, in Ober’s case, narrative acrobatics are not exactly part and parcel of home-grown comedies -- Van Warmerdam has nevertheless gathered a loyal following who will be delighted to see the director is up to his usual tricks after his coolly received 2003 outing Grimm. Some of the jokes in Ober are belly-laugh funny, including a running gag involving four African tribesmen and the hilarious result of Edgar’s creator falling asleep on his keyboard. Many more moments are full of intelligent jokes and gags that rarely fall flat (an expection is the steak-on-the-floor joke, which was to be expected in a comedy set in a restaurant but as executed here feels more like an inadvertent homage to Het schnitzelparadijs than a great gag). 

 

Performances are all pitch-perfect, including Ariane Schluter as Edgar’s demanding mistress and Jaap Spijkers as his possibly even more miserable waiting colleague. The film is also filled with fun cameo performances, ranging from reliable Dutch thespian Fedja van Huêt as Schluter’s character’s gangster brother and Japanese actor Togo Igawa as a hagelslag-munching suprise guest of Edgar. Belgian editor Ewin Ryckaert gets points for his supple editing which gives most of the gags and contained performances exactly the space they need. The first confrontation between Edgar and the three difficult businessmen (led by a superbly angry Pierre Bokma, the journalist in Theo van Gogh’s Interview) is a perfect example of Ryckaert's precision.

 

The creation of this slightly askew version of the big-city Netherlands owes much to Gert Brinkers’ production design that juxtaposes a retro-feel of faded pastels for the restaurant with a decidedly contemporary and suburban feel for the buildings oustide. Most of Ober takes place after dark, which reinforces the idea of it taking place in a particular universe.

 

Despite the fact that Edgar -- played to perfection by Van Warmerdam in a wonderfully understated performance -- is a fictive character, his courage and willingness to fight for a better destiny cannot but be admired. The way in which he arrives at his destiny is one of the highlights of the film’s closing scenes.

 

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