Caroline van Houten

42-year-old Peter experiences his existence as a big routine. Is he suffering from a midlife crisis...or does he really see things differently than they really are?

The lessons of a driving instructor are filmed in documentary style from the back seat of the training car. The rear-view mirrors reflect the faces of the people in the front very well. The instructor is never complimentary to his pupils and always makes the same nasty jokes. The camera keeps close to the dour man. But when at the end of the day he knocks down a boy, his frame of mind is turned topsy-turvy.

Just your ordinary video store around the corner: A woman enters, grabs a videotape and goes to the counter. She pulls a gun and asks for money. "Quick, quick, quick!" The cashier looks anxious and hands over the money. But just when she turns around to walk away, the cashier pulls a shotgun and fires. Is it for real? Apparently not, because someone shouts: Stop! and we suddenly find ourselves on a film set. The director seems to disagree however with the decision to stop shooting. She reflects on the situation. Then, just few moments later, the director is lying in bed. Was the film set real? Was it fiction?

Gorgeous Anna entices Jack, whom she does not know, into a remarkable game in a hamburger joint. Jack and Anna challenge each other by devouring their JoyMeal menu as sensually as possible. But before Jack reaches a climax, his French fries are finished.

Rembrand Van Rijn est déjà célèbre à son arrivée à Amsterdam. Son oeuvre coïncide avec le goût de son temps. C'est un homme comblé qui épouse la belle Saskia. Dix ans plus tard, elle meurt alors que la disgrâce du peintre a commencé. La mode demande alors une peinture légère, mais le peintre s'obstine dans ses ombres. Sa vie privée est scandaleuse, il choisit ses femmes parmi ses servantes et ses relations ailleurs que dans la bonne société. C'est alors que la puritaine société d'Amsterdam trahit et châtie celui qu'elle avait porté aux nues.