BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) - Birmingham wouldn't usually care about a film released in the Netherlands, but when the theme is "what really happened to Natalee Holloway?" there's plenty of interest.

"Me and Mr. Jones on Natalee Island" had its debut Thursday at The Netherlands Film Festival in Utrecht.  The early review on Radio Netherlands Worldwide's website called Paul Ruven's film "a strange cross between a thriller and a love drama." The movie takes the twin themes of an investigative reporter's need to solve the Natalee Holloway disappearance on Aruba and his developing relationship with an escort. Mixing the two themes didn't set that well with the RNW reviewer.

"The combination of love and crime theories in this case is not worthwhile. The denouement of the film is indeed exciting, but by then, the frustration about the lack of sympathy with the main characters have already ensured that the viewer has become bored. The Holloway case has become a mysterious background with a limp love story."

A review on the Dutch website Movie Sense cited difficulties Ruven had after Joran van der Sloot's mother tried to claim commercial rights to any use of her son's name.  That reviewer shared the skepticism of mixing the Holloway/van der Sloot disappearance case with the love story of the investigative reporter and the call girl but concedes bringing in the Natalee angle will improve the film's chances for international distribution.

In an interview with CBS42.com several weeks ago, Paul Ruven talked about distribution of his film by dvd.

 CBS42.com: What is the status of North American distribution? Theatres? DVD? Television? Other?

Paul Ruven: WE GOT SO MANY EMAILS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. SO WE CHOSE FOR A “WORLDWIDE PREMIERE”. SO AFTER THE DUTCH PREMIERE ON SEPT 22 2011, FOR THE USA: IT WILL BE ON AMAZON USA , ITUNES USA AND HULA USA AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER.

CBS42 has a SKYPE interview with Ruven scheduled for Monday.