When I Saw You about the life of Antonie Kamerling and Isa Hoes: respectful, fierce, wonderful

There was a thunder, a lightning… In the song Toen Ik Je Zag by Antonie Kamerling, that text was the prelude to something beautiful: love, lots of love. There was thunder and lightning throughout the Netherlands when it became clear that the actor had taken his own life on October 6, 2010 at the age of 44.

His life, from stardom to especially manic depression, can be seen in the cinema from tomorrow in Toen Ik Je Zag. But especially his life with Isa Hoes, which was a whirlwind of ups, downs and one lump of love in good times and bad. When Ik Je Zag, with Egbert-Jan Weeber and Noortje Herlaar is – of course – Metro’s Film Review of the Week. What a good, beautiful film it turned out to be. With two actors who are totally successful.

Kamerling and Hoes in GTST

On the set of Good Times, Bad Times, Antonie Kamerling and the then flamboyant Isa Hoes met in the early 1990s. They did not let go of each other until that fatal autumn of 2010. We get a touch of the teenage madness around the blonde and beloved actor in Toen Ik Je Zag. Egbert-Jan Weeber and Noortje Herlaar (you can read an interview with her here) score points with the fact that they play the young soap actors themselves. They also look very nice too.

The film has barely started when you hear the first piano notes of the song of the same name, Toen Ik Je Zag. If you can still remember Antonie Kamerling correctly, you immediately caught your first swallowing moment.

Below you can see Kamerling and Hoes in their GTST roles as Peter Kelder and Myriam van der Pol:

Isa and Antonie are called differently in When I Saw You

In addition to this trip, in Toen Ik Je Zag we mainly see life long afterwards. If Isa Hoes and Antonie Kamerling already live in a small farm in the countryside and have a son (Merlijn) and daughter (Vlinder). The time when falling in love with each other and Kamerling’s manic depressions run right through each other. Director and screenwriter Ben Verbong decided that the main characters should be called Bastiaan and Esther. This is to the relief of Isa Hoes, who, by the way, did think about the script for her bestseller When I saw you: my life with Antonie and gave her blessing.

The book had a major impact and generated countless responses to Isa Hoes over the years. Impact will also have When Ik Je Zag as a film. Not being able to get into someone’s head when they’re totally depressed, how hard that must have been. And how many moviegoers, just like the readers of the book, will recognize a lot from themselves, or from people around them. Such a winged statement by Antonie Kamerling as ‘I can do it myself, you know that, don’t you?’, many will have heard such a sentence and could have meant nothing to the speaker.

To become silent

The insecurities, mood swings and depressions of Antonie Kamerling are dealt with in a good way in Toen Ik Je Zag. Respectfully and it is not always too obvious. Being able to understand him as a moviegoer is difficult. But yes, Isa Hoes couldn’t do that either. They – and we now – had to make do with Kamerling’s explanations such as ‘I have a very small voice in my head that keeps telling me what I can’t do; if I then say that he is right, the voice will go away’.

Fortunately, there is also plenty to enjoy. Like that time when, as a father, he took his children to school. In a bathrobe, so that Merlin and Butterfly strongly forbid him to get out of the car. Once they enter their school, father Antonie is already sitting behind a piano in that bathrobe, singing ‘the hit’ for all the students. Beautiful. In any case, Egbert-Jan Weeber’s playing is a pleasure to watch. He has gone deep and acquired a totally empty look in his eyes to tell you.

Again, wonderful and a school of wonder. And then that ending (and the photos)… When I Saw You is to become very quiet for a moment. That was it after the press presentation.

Rating out of 5: 5

You can read Metro’s movie review of the week every Wednesday around 6 p.m. New titles always appear in Dutch cinemas on Thursdays, such as Toen Ik Je Zag (sometimes also on Wednesdays). Reporter Erik Jonk chooses one every week. Next week: Scream VI, so look away or be scared… and that for the sixth time already.

Do you ever think about suicide? You can call 113.nl completely anonymously (0800-01130 or chat.