Abel on AllMovie

This satirical Dutch film was the debut of its director-writer-star, Alex Van Warmerdam. Abel is a 31-year old man who still lives with his parents and is petrified of the outside world. His parents try their best to socialize him -- in some very funny scenes -- before his father (Henri Garcin) finally kicks him out. Abel does adjust and even finds love, the catch being that his paramour (Annet Malherbe) happens to be his father's mistress. Van Warmerdam's theatrical background is very much in evidence, as the cinematography (by Marc Felperlaan) and set design recall nothing so much as an off-Broadway play, albeit an occasionally hilarious one.