Miss Minoes

If you like European films like Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, you'll most certainly want to see this one, because it's got the same charm and will give you a good feeling afterwards. I'm not sure this movie's available overseas in the U.S., but if you can get your hands on it, buy it, you won't be disappointed!

I love this Dutch film in any way possible. It has charm, it is funny and sweet and most of all it is heartwarming. It starts with a simple premise. A cat changes into a young woman because she eats from some chemical stuff in a barrel. She, Minoes (Carice van Houten), is allowed to stay with Tibbe (Theo Maassen). He is a reporter who is about to get fired but since Minoes can help him with some news which she hears from other cats, she saves his job. They make a deal. She can stay, but she must provide Tibbe with some news.

Mr. Ellemeet (Pierre Bokma) is the hero of the town. He seems to be a very good man but Minoes and the other cats slowly discover that he is not that good after all. Now the shy Tibbe wants to help the cats and expose Mr. Ellemeet but he has no prove besides the stories of cats. Minoes, the other cats and a girl named Bibi (Sarah Bannier) who lives next door come up with a plan to help Tibbe.

The simple story is based on a novel written by Annie M.G. Schmidt, who was and is probably the most read author for children books in The Netherlands. Although it is quite simple it has so many nice touches you almost forget the simplicity. The nice little touches deal with Minoes who has a struggle with herself. She is a cat but slowly becomes a human being. The hunger for fish and birds and the need to climb trees when dogs are near are those little nice things.

Carice van Houten plays her part extremely well. It may seem pretty easy what she does but that is only because of her. Theo Maassen finds the right note for his character as well and Pierre Bokma is a good villain. The performances are good and it looks very good as well, exactly the way a movie like this should look. The movie is perfect for children and I think that adults will have at least the same amount of fun. There is simply nothing wrong with this movie considering it is for the whole family. If you want to see a great family film, try this Dutch little treasure.

Note: A nice fact is that Jan Roelfs is the co-producer. He was Oscar-nominated as the production designer for 'Orlando' and 'Gattaca' and is the production designer for the upcoming 'Alexander' from Oliver Stone.

Carice van Houten, now famous for her role in Zwartboek, is a great actress and knows how to get her audience's attention. In Minoes, she is a very sweet and fun girl and together with Theo Maassen she really put together a lovely movie. Though not more than 1 hour of entertainment, this movie is something you could watch over and over and over again. Why? It's lighthearted, very funny and brings out the genius that was Annie M.G. Schmidt, who wrote the story years ago. The power of this movies is also the voices of the cats. Famous Dutch people like Wim T. Schippers, a.k.a. Ernie (Bert and Ernie), and Hans Teeuwen, a renowed Dutch comedian make funny jokes all the time and besides it's really fun to hear someone be a cat. If you enjoyed this movie, I highly recommend Ja Zuster, Nee Zuster, which has a similar class and quality. Go ahead and watch them and have a great time!

This was my favorite film at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2002. This bright tale of a woman who is really a cat has all the charm of a fairy tale and the timeless and romantic feel of Amelie or Mary Poppins.

The story is simple. A cat turns into a woman after coming across some unknown nasty stuff spilled from a barrel. She finds herself stuck on the rooftops of her small town not sure which world she now belongs to - human or feline. She trips into the life of a struggling reporter and they both finds ways to help each other and expose the local business hero as the cad that he is.

Everything from the set designs to the action was well crafted. The result was such a treasure that I'd love to own a DVD copy but can't find any. Somehow I think if the US companies (please, not the new Disney!) got their hands on this they would ruin it's European charm. Please, please distribute this or release a DVD.

December 2001. Amidst the noise of the other novel adaptations (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Discovery of Heaven) comes a simple, loveable, heart-warming story of a cat that turned into a young lady.

Based on the famous children's book by Annie M.G. Schmidt, the movie tells of a young lady Minoes who takes shelter at Tibbe's house. Tibbe is a shy reporter on the verge of getting fired, because he is too afraid to go up to people to get any news. But Minoes turns out to be a big help. She still speaks with cats and in this way she hears about all the things happening in town. She tells tibbe the news and in return he lets her stay at his room. Things get complicated as Minoes and Tibbe find out about an evil plan of one of the town's most fore-standing men. But with help of the cats and Tibbe's neighbour-girl Bibi, they are too good a team to be beaten.

The story is one thing, but there is more to enjoy. The overall feeling of a small-town community comes through well. The characters are clearly drawn-out, the situations are simple and the world-events are fare away. People care about the fish-car that got crashed and a pot of golden coins found in the cemetary.

In that environment we get to know Minoes, played by Carice van Houten. She puts the problems and enjoyments of being a young lady with cat-qualities convincingly to the screen. She climbs roofs, is fond of fish and is terrified of even the smallest dog. Throughout the movie she more and more finds a balance between being human and cat at the same time. And that is the most important theme of the movie, being happy with your self and standing up for that. Tibbe, the reporter, has to overcome his shyness to stand up to the evil plans of mr. Ellemeet and convince the townspeople of those evil plans. But fortunately he has Minoes, Bibi and bunch of cats to back him up. Tibbe, played by comedian Theo Maassen, is fun to watch and really makes you feel for his problems.

And there is more, like the talking cats that all have different personalities, all the other actors that do great jobs, the typically dutch look and feel of the movie etc. But above all Minoes shows us the heart-warming qualities and timelessness of a well-made, old-fashioned, simple story. Treat yourself and take your kids or somebody elses.