AN AMERICAN IN AMSTERDAM is a smart comedy mockumentary.

The camera seems to follow as a reality the life of Marcia Kimpton, whose life seems actually to be always on the set of a film. 

 

Marcia Kimpton was the queen of a late night show with a rock star attitude. When it all came crumbling down, she did everything and anything to get a job, eventually learning that chasing a dream isn’t about reaching the finish line but finding happiness along the way. 

This mockumentary spans a period of 25 years of Marcia's adventurous life until she gets a reality show in Amsterdam. It’s a dark comedy where the director dies and Marcia's best friend, Shirley, comes in to direct the reality show - even if her directing skills are less than stellar. 

Working together in Amsterdam strains their friendship, and it doesn’t help that Shirley is chasing the young editor. 

This comedy is based on the TV series AB Fab characters.

 

The film begins with “Action,” declaring from the beginning that the audience is watching a metacinematographic storytelling. The clever and snappy ideas and screenplay of the film make it a very entertaining film.

Dialogues are very authentic and seem always realistically played by Marcia Kimpton and Shirley Robinson. The storytelling and journey of their friendship is one of the best points of the film, allowing the audience to really get involved in their life and what happened to them. What is present in the film is not only the strength of their relationship - stronger than any relationship with a boyfriend - but also the contrasts between them that tear them apart yet grow closer for it.

Women driven films are now growing in numbers and quality but are often full of a variety of stereotypes.  

The ageism often present in cinema was also challenged throughout the film thanks to the ironic and irreverent script. Moreover in this case, thanks to the chemistry between the two actresses,  we can watch the development of a real friendship between two women in adult life without losing authenticity.

The Cinematography is coherent with the story told, always vibrant and colorful as the life of the main character. Movements of camera always following the actions create a strong sense of unstoppable flow and realism as if the audience is watching a documentary. 

Another aspect which conveys this flow is the excellent pacing of the editing forced also through many jump cuts which add a very strong rhythm. Even without music that is very present, the film would have a very strong and effective pacing. 

Finally, the way Amsterdam is told is also very interesting. The city is not just scenery, but is part of the narration with its beauty and other aspects that are difficult to live with like the cost of living, the use of the bicycle when you have to rush and the stereotypes about night clubs. It is also told through the interviews that the main character does to tourists on the street.

In this “Venice of the North” the opportunity for a second chance is given not only to the characters but the audience as well.

Certainly watching this film will make the audience totally fall in love with our dear Amsterdam.

The volcanic director and main actress of this film is: 

MARCIA KIMPTON is a filmmaker, late night host, and co-host of the Climb podcast. She recently wrote, directed, produced, and acted in the film BARDO BLUES, which has won over 40 awards. The film was launched in theaters in May 2019 in NYC, LA, and San Francisco and has been distributed by Freestyle Digital Media on all digital platforms.

Marcia has also written her memoir ESCAPING HOLLYWOOD BARDO, currently sold on Amazon. Her background TV career was in San Francisco as a KTVU-Fox Entertainment/Comedy Reporter, and a late night host on KGO-ABC.

Marcia is originally from Chicago, and after years of living in NYC, LA, and SF, has elected Aspen, CO as her residency.

 

About the movie, here a quotation of the director: 

 

“AN AMERICAN IN AMSTERDAM is a labor of love, spreading the message through comedy that chasing a dream isn’t about reaching the finish line, but finding happiness along the way.

This Mockumentary is a passion project inspired by the struggles and discrimination I’ve felt as a woman in Hollywood. I recorded every one of these productions over a 25 year period. In 1998, my dream late night show was abruptly taken off the air. Every male executive said the same thing, "the world is not ready for a woman in late night.” This real life scenario sent me spiraling for decades until I finally completed my life’s achievement, the award winning film “Bardo Blues”, in 2019.

I loved the idea of mixing real people and creating fictional comedy. Inspired by Sasha Baron Cohen’s movie “Borat”, I used my real footage as an entertainment reporter in San Francisco from 1994-98 and a local late night show host in 1998. I added many real street interviews, scripted and fictional scenes, and I created this mockumentary storyline.

I have to thank the countries and people in the Netherlands, Iceland, Thailand and the US for being supportive of our grass roots, gorilla style, low budget filmmaking.

As a filmmaker, I use storytelling and comedy to deal with the injustice women experience as entertainers. I hope to inspire women to make art no matter what the obstacle and to never give up on their dreams, because I never did. I plan to give a portion of the proceeds of this film back to female artists to overcome these obstacles.”

 

AN AMERICAN IN AMSTERDAM won BEST FEMALE DIRECTOR FEATURE at the Amsterdam New Cinema Film Festival January monthly competition.