AllMovie

A put-upon, middle-aged waiter whose life seems to be dictated by the writings of his best friend begs the author of his colorless autobiography for a new hue in a film writer, star, and director Alex van Warmerdam's absurdist take on fate, creativity, and power. A virtual human punching bag for his demanding wife, formidable mistress, and boisterous neighbors, Edgar (van Warmerdam) waits tables at a decrepit dive restaurant known as The West. But work offers no escape from the draining demands of his everyday life, because Edgar's customers are just as unrepentantly abusive as his friends and family. Herman (Mark Reitman) is the author in charge of telling the tale of Edgar's miserable existence, but as persistently as the hapless waiter implores the relentless writer for a merciful break in the madness of his life, Herman's sadistic wife Suzie (Thekla Reuten) always seems to steer Edgar's life in the most disagreeable direction possible.