Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005)

Some of the comments here about this movie say that this movie is depicting the Netherlands wrongly. Drugs, prostitution and naked weather(wo)men. How crude!

I think this movie is a cute spoof on the Netherlands. Of course we don't have naked weatherwomen (unfortunately), but indeed we have coffee-shops which are very much unlike Starbucks, and although the legal status of prostitution is vague, it's not prohibited in certain areas in the country and indeed the prostitutes do pay taxes and have a health care plan. So in a sense it's true, albeit a bit over the top - for amusement value.

The movie shows some nice areas of the country, like the windmills, old cobblestone streets and canals. And it has a huge slew of famous and not-so-famous Dutch celebrities, which actually makes this movie fun to watch for a Dutchman! In fact, I think Dutch moviegoers would rate this movie higher than an American would do, as the latter might not get the tongue in cheek humor depicted within. Americans may even be offended at how the war in Iraq is mentioned by a Frenchman, and the aggression against people waving an American flag, sending out a political stab by Mr. Schneider.

There is much eye for detail, like the shirts Deuce is wearing, or the fact that he calls Eva 'ay-va' as the Dutch would do, the fun with the street name ('Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal', notorious in Holland for its red-light district) and the names and phone-numbers in the little black book (DVD freeze frame).

So, being Dutch myself, I found this flick pretty amusing!

PS. the cover of the Dutch version DVD is much more appropriate, showing an Amsterdam pavement divider post ('Amsterdammertje') instead of the Italian (!?) Leaning Tower of Pisa.