An American in Amsterdam is Marcia Kimpton’s fictionalized meta-reality mockumentary about a character named Marcia Kimpton, who is also played by her, making a reality show (also fictional) in Amsterdam. Sit with that for a minute. Catch your breath.
Kimpton (the character) is a media personality fallen on hard times, approaching middle age. She is offered a gig hosting a reality person-on-the-street interview show in Amsterdam. When the director is suddenly killed in an accident early on in the making of the show, Kimpton calls her friend Shirley (Shirley Robinson) to come over from the U.S. and direct. Shirley has no experience directing, but it turns out, she does have strong opinions about what the show should be, and winds up derailing the production. The ladies are also going out every night and drinking themselves into blackouts, resulting in crazy hook-ups and shameful morning regrets.
“…mockumentary about Marcia Kimpton making a fictional reality show in Amsterdam…”
What results is essentially Absolutely Fabulous in Amsterdam. It all takes a harder turn into intentional weirdness when Shirley starts banging the 24-year-old show editor, Dirk (Kevin Michael Menkhorst). The film ends on a cliffhanger. Kimpton is thrown a curveball just as it seems everything is settling into a positive rhythm for her and the show. It would be interesting to see how she untangles the complications still in play when the credits roll.
Kimpton (not the character) is a hotel heiress/media personality/world traveler, as well as a late-night host and filmmaker known for Bardo Blues. It’s safe to say that the real world Kimpton has her s**t together in a way that the character in this film does not.
Production-wise, Kimpton holds to high standards in cinematography, sound, and editing. Filmmaker Mark Borchardt is mentioned and credited, but barely appears on screen in passing, more of a flash than a cameo. In an interview with Digital Journal, Kimpton mentions that the final script was a collaboration with Shirley Robinson. “I wrote the first draft, but when I cast my great friend, Shirley Robinson, to play my best friend in this movie, she rewrote it with me.”
She talks about the inspiration behind the film in her director’s statement: “I love Amsterdam and hate reality TV, so I wrote a comedy about two women in a reality show. I chose Amsterdam because it is a wild and beautiful city, and I really love working with the Dutch. I wanted to film a movie that is a satire about reality TV during the day and at night, with the twists, turns, and humor of a contemporary buddy comedy. The entire purpose of this movie is to bring joy and laughter to the audience, which I hope is a pleasant escape from the darkness and sorrow that seems to dominate the world today.”
If you like cringe comedic beats (think Curb Your Enthusiasm) and the chaos that comes with celebrity narcissism and privilege run amok, you will love An American in Amsterdam.
"…the chaos that comes with celebrity narcissism and privilege run amok"
