In 1983, Dutch businessman, chairman and CEO of the Heineken beer company, Freddy Heineken, was kidnapped by a group of men all bent on making a quick buck. Their scheme was almost a complete success as they were paid the largest ransom for a single person (35 million Dutch guilders or a little more than $17 million American dollars) but were caught later on. The new film Kidnapping Mr. Heineken presents this odd caper in a manner that is light, well-acted and peppered with the occasional comedic moment. It’s a movie that doesn’t really take itself seriously and makes the actual kidnapping seem like a mere punch line. Having said that, however, the film is average at best and should be seen for the solid acting contained within if not for anything else.
