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Reviews
Rejseholdet: Assistancemelding A-19/00, del 2 (2000)
Excellent mystery!
I think this is the episode the series elevates itself from being pretty good to being great! Firstly, the mystery is very well-written and there is a sense of lurking danger throughout. The writers let the viewers in on who the villain is halfway, which is a clever trick used many times in this series, raising the tensions even more.
Secondly, we are now at the point where the characters are all pretty much set in their ways and the audience has got to know them for a while. Now they all have interesting storylines about both the work and their private lives the writers are cleverly giving each of the characters challenges of their own. The good writing and acting combined with Mads Mikkelsens star power makes this episode the strongest yet!
Rejseholdet: Assistancemelding A-15/99 (2000)
Entertaining pilot
I think you can see the beginnings of a good show here already in the pilot. The main characters are pretty easy to pick out early on since they have very different looks and personalities, and it is interesting getting to know them, their strenghts and weaknesses, and to get a sense of who they are.
Admittedly, the acting is a little bit shaky at times I think and the characters have not yet been delevoped very well and their interactions feel a bit clunky and not too natural at times. But I think the story is good and entertaining and I did enjoy it. Sure, it is nothing too special but as a series premiere I think it delivers solid entertainment, and the star quality of Mads Mikkelsen is pretty obvious from the beginning.
A Man in Full (2024)
Jeff Daniels carries the show
This is... not that good to be honest. The script is uneven and pretty flat, and if you've seen enough films in your day you will be able to predict a lot of what is going to happen.
Some events are pretty interesting, especially when the story ventures into the absurd, like the coupling of horses scenes or the infamous scene in the last episode, but other than that this feels pretty procedural.
The only thing that really hooked me was the prison storyline, that felt genuine and interesting all the way, and I always enjoy seeing Anthony Heald as well.
Jeff Daniels carries this show on his shoulders and he does his best, dominating the scenes he is in with his enormous presence and charisma. But it is clear for all to see that he is severely limited in his performance when the script is not up to it.
Shardlake (2024)
Arthur Hughes impresses in Holmes-like fashion
Shardlake is about a murder mystery in 16th century England during Henry VIIIs dismantling of the monasteries, and as a History teacher of course I had to watch this. I was a bit concerned that it would overlap The Tudors too much but luckily this is not the case and this series and its mystery stands on its own two feet very well.
Sean Bean is given ridiculously little screen time and at first it got me irritated and I thought this was another one of those series where you hire a famous actor for 5 minutes and live of their reputation, but this is not the case and my mood improved as I got stuck into the mystery.
I was happy to see Anthony Boyle again after just seeing his star-making performances in Masters of the Air and Manhunt, but I believe that co-starring roles like this are now a thing of the past for him. His performance is pretty good as John Barak, but the true star of the show is Arthur Hughes as Shardlake. He is the star of every scene he is in, and in Holmes-like faction he solves the mystery one step at a time while remaining confident and charismatic in a way that captivates the viewer. A revelation indeed, this works really well, excellent casting.
All in all, even though this is nowhere near as good as "The Name of the Rose" for example, the settings look great, the tone is grim, the mystery is fairly interesting and the acting is better than I expected. Well worth a watch!
The Veil: The Asset (2024)
Stronger and more coherent
This is the episode where I think things came together for a really interesting show. The tone is even darker than before, with an especially harrowing scene about terrorism and radiation. The acting chemistry between Elisabeth Moss and Yumna Marwan is apparent as more twists and turns make their status even more unclear, who is who and what is the objective now?
I also think Josh Charles's character Max is more serious and fits better into this show in this episode, and the sum of the parts now line up to make the show coherent and interesting.
Who is Adilah and what is her part in the nasty things the villains of the show are cooking up? I am looking forward to finding out.
The Veil: Crossing the Bridge (2024)
The mystery deepens
The Veil really finds its footing the second episode, focusing on Imogen and Adilah's journey through Turkey and their developing relation. Though it is full of lies and deceit it also has moments of honest connection and I think the characters are well written and give Moss and Marwan good material to work with.
What I'm struggling a bit with are the changes in tone, the Djinn al Raqqa storyline and all the talk about ISIS is very dark obviously, yet there is a very stereotypical American CIA agent who are more like a figure of fun in the show, and that blend doesn't really work that well.
Other than that the episode is beautifully shot, especially the Istanbul scenes, and full of action. Good entertainment!
The Veil: The Camp (2024)
Slow start but finds it feet after a while.
Honestly I was not too impressed by the first 20 minutes of the pilot. This blonde cocky girl shows up at a refugee camp with a bad attitude and somehow she easily fools everyone else in the camp and she gets one over all of them. I didn't find it very believable and I had some question marks over some of the acting as well.
Fortunately the show quickly finds its feet with a really tense scene where one of the refugee women is recognized as a top level ISIS commander, and from there on the mystery starts to build and never lets go.
The question that will provide most of the mystery and forward momentum is also established, who is Adaliah El Indrissi, really? Is she a nefarious ISIS commander or a woman and mother whos has been led astray?
Elisabeth Moss and Yumna Marwan find a decent chemistry pretty early on and I think their acting skills will be a key factor whether The Veil will be really good or just another decent who-are-you-really mystery.
Sugar: Go Home (2024)
I will kill you all
With tensions rising, Sugar finds himself in a tricky spot where he has to use extreme violence to get out of it. This made me sit up and take notice, as from nowhere he seems to have some Matrix-ninja-type of skillset, making it obvious he is not what he seems to be.
I think the series needed a plot twist so was really happy to see something this odd happening. The series leaves the early 50s noir feeling and morphs into something else, and the fun part is that I don't know what it is yet.
The acting stays grounded and both Farrell and Ryan are really good in this episode, with a special mention to a scene with Dennis Boutsikaris and James Cromwell where they get their minutes in the limelight. Boutsikaris delivers a strong performance in that scene, and I think is pretty nice since Bernie really hasn't been a very interesting character so far in my opinion.
Sugar is being worked against from every angle, and solving the case looks grim, but nevertheless the end of the episode delivers a big surprise that will keep me glued to my seat, this is good!
Sugar: Boy in the Corner (2024)
Sidequests
With Davey publicly disgraced, Sugar gets his chance to lower his defenses and get some information out of him in the search for Olivia. This episode lets Nate Corddry have his moment to shine, Farrell and Corddry have some very tense moments in the episode and I think they both pulled off some very impressive acting.
In this episode Sugar also finally loses his cool and shows some of the built-up frustration and rage underneath that cool suave facade from the earlier episodes, and the fallout from that makes some interesting scenes between Colin Farrell and Amy Ryan.
Despite a lot of things happening I am starting to feel that the series is becoming a bit of a drag despite the episodes being just 30 minutes. New avenues and plot lines are introduced all the time but at the moment all the focus is on the sidequests and very little on the main quest.
Sugar: Starry-Eyed (2024)
The mystery deepens
Further cracks in the facade are clearly visible at this stage as more and more people ask Sugar how he is feeling, raising the viewer's (me) doubts once again over the credibility of the story I'm being told here.
The mystery keeps getting more complex and it is now obvious that the people close to Sugar have their allegiances in all kinds of places and he is getting played with, which actually made me feel a bit sorry for him. In the first couple of episodes Sugar was portrayed as almost a superhero but by now he is becoming more and more unstable and vulnerable.
Colin Farrell does a great job showing more and more nuances of John Sugar and it is a little bit of a shame that he doesn't really have a charismatic character to play against at this point, he is very much the lone wolf and the rest of the cast are very much supporting characters which is a shame. I would have hoped for a bit more chemistry between Farrell and Amy Ryan but I just don't see it.
The surprise for me this episode was a very solid scene with guest star Isabella Briggs, I enjoyed her brief appearance as Olivia's friend Taylor, and I am curious to see more of her in the future. Another guest star I was happy to see was Anna Gunn as Margit Sorensen, and I guess most Breaking Bad fans would agree with me on that.
Overall a good episode, with a solid cliffhanger at the end.
Sugar: Shibuya Crossing (2024)
Lies and betrayal?
With the appearance of some genuine baddies, the stakes are now higher. I enjoyed seeing some action and thrills in this episode after two relatively quiet episodes. There is also a sharper much divide in this episode between the baddies' appearance driving modern F150 trucks and their very modern take on violence compared to Sugar's old school persona, driving his classic car and behaving like someone from the 50s.
There are also a lots of things shrouded in mystery. Sugar ends up in some kind of interrogation room with Ruby, where he is berated for getting emotionally engaged in his cases, and that he is supposed to be cold and rational about his work. There is also a hint about previous trauma that I find interesting, hopefully that will be explored further.
There is also the matter of Sugar's unwillingness to meet Dr Vickers, something Sugar has put off for several episodes. Cracks are beginning to appear and as a viewer I'm not really sure if the story I'm told makes sense or if I am being taken for a ride here, and there are some very clear signs that things are not what they appear to be, so the mystery is constantly evolving, which I like.
So far Sugar is a fun and captivating watch. And although you can tell it is not quite as stylish when Arkin is directing and not Meirelles, it still looks great.
Sugar: These People, These Places (2024)
Secretive yet interesting
The plot thickens, the relationship between John and Melanie evolves, shifts and turns for the worse as the case gets more and more complex. John's character is also getting more and more complex as the viewer starts to see glimpses of his moral dilemmas and how his attempts at being a good person does not always end well, in fact quite the opposite so far.
Although John is a secretive character, we do get a glimpse of his flaws as he seems to have some kind of medical condition, which I have no doubt this will be explored further and that it will affect the plot somehow.
The writing is solid and the story is picking up some pace now, Farrell is doing an excellent job at making the character interesting despite how little we actually get to know about his true motivations. The directing is stylish and I really like how old movie clips are integrated in the story seamlessly, even the aspect ratio changes accordingly. Nicely done, but then again I am a fan of Meirelles and his earlier work.
This is clearly an episode mainly of character exploration and exposition and I will swiftly move on to the next episode.
Sugar: Olivia (2024)
Slick, stylish and gripping
Colin Farrell is excellent in making John Sugar an interesting character straight off the bat. I didn't fancy him much in the early 2000s but with age Farrell provides a Bond-ish charisma to the role, and with the brilliant Fernando Meirelles at the helm, things are off to a good start. It is stylish, it expertly uses old music, cut between shots of old and new settings (watch the cars!) And gives off the noir 50s vibe that catches my attention.
The story is interesting enough but not too original, with the rich old relative engaging a private investigator to find his granddaughter. I was thinking about the similarities to LA Confidential for a while, and when I saw James Cromwell in this episode it made me smile and I think it is a really nice tip of the hat to that old classic as well. It is obvious this series is made by lovers of old Hollywood noir, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the story will take us next.
Vikings: All His Angels (2016)
The end of an era
The swansong of Ragnar Lothbrok is without doubt the most charismatic of all the characters in the Vikings universe in my opinion.
At least he gets a proper and brutal sendoff, true to the vein of the series. The episode shows the true greatness of a character like Ragnar, and his conviction that man makes his own destiny. His harrowing end also makes a big impression on the watching Ecbert, who himself embarks on an inner journey in this episode.
Ragnar gets a good and proper sendoff where his legendary status is confirmed, while Aelle and even Ecbert look like very small men in comparison. Although Travis's performance is spectacular I would also reserve some praise for Linus Roache, the two men pull off some of the most powerful acting I've seen in the series in their final scenes togheter. The two men talk about life, power and the influence of religion in their lives, and the interplay between them is excellent.
It is no doubt a turning point in this series, as Ragnar's shoes will be very hard to fill for the other characters.
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Thoughtful entertainment
A very enjoyable watch. Music, clothes and culture seems accurate and sends me back to the 70s and the acting is superb. I think Washington and Driver are great in this movie and I also enjoyed the performances of Vikings favourite Pääkönen and Eggold in particular.
Although the subject matter is important I don't really find myself getting all that much emotionally involved. I suspect that might have to do with me being a European viewer and the issue at hand here is largely a question of discrimination in the US, although there is certainly a case to be made that these issues are hot topics in Europe as well.
I think the film was fun to watch while still being serious and drawing important parallells to society today. Well worth watching.
Walking on Sunshine (2014)
Decent lightweight entertainment
Bad girl Maddie is just about to wed hunky Italian Raf, and goody-two-shoes sister Taylor flies in, just to discover Raf, incidentally, is her holiday fling from three years ago and, even more incidentally, the love of her life. This is the ridiculous premise of this feel-good musical film which is also a blatant Mamma Mia rip off. The wedding, the songs, the locations, it is impossible not to see the link between the two movies.
Flawed as Mamma Mia was, at least it could rely on heavyweight actors like Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan. The cast of this movie is nowhere near as good , and what the movie lacks in the embarrassingly simple plot, it fails to make up with chemistry and charm.
This paper-thin feel-good movie no doubt hopes to cash in on its many similarities with worldwide hit movie Mamma Mia, and both movies basically works as advertisements for holidays in Italy, showcasing breathtakingly beautiful settings.
All in all, the movie is not without its little charms and the 80s soundtrack surely appeals to many, so for an evening of feel-good fun this might just work for you, just don't expect any form of depth, thoughtfulness, cultural weight or lasting memories. I'm pretty sure you will have forgotten all about this movie in a couple of months.
Små citroner gula (2013)
Harmless charmer
A positive, charming and cute everyday girl struggles to make it professionally as well as in her personal life. She has a thing for a silent, awkward guy but can't resist letting her charming Lothario bad boy ex-boyfriend come back to have some whenever he chooses to. Sounds like Bridget Jones? Well, the Swedish romantic comedy Små Citroner gula follows the same pattern.
Små Citroner Gula follows the adventures of Agnes. She is pretty much your average girl, who has a streak of bad luck and loses her job and boyfriend on the same day. Cheered up by her loving mother, she is loaned some money to make her partner in a restaurant about to open. The movie follows her business venture and her private life, and they are more often than not mixed up, especially when she finds out that one of the city's most prominent restaurant reviewers is a goofy but cute guy that just happens to live downstairs from Agnes.
Raker Wärmländer is a good choice to play Agnes in my opinion, she is charming and looks good but not too good for the part. I was impressed with Sverrir Gudnason as well, he has a way of playing insecure, awkward guys and still he has pretty boy good looks, so the two leads make a good couple. They are helped by a strong supporting cast too, including Josephine Bornebusch, Dan Ekborg and Tomas von Brömssen.
As for the plot, it is standard rom-com fare, and you'll have it all figured out before you get through half the movie. Pretty entertaining popcorn stuff though.
Falling in Love Again (1980)
Dull story terribly acted
Michelle Pfeiffer looks absolutely gorgeous in one of her first movie features, and her being in it is probably what is best known about it, since the box cover of the movie has her face all over it even though she plays a supporting character.
The main character of the film is Harry Lewis (Elliott Gould), a failed architect who is haunted by his own past, so decides to take his kids and wife Sue (Susannah York) on a road trip to the Bronx so that he can re-visit his youth.
The story about the road trip is mixed with scenes from Harry's past, in 1940s New York, where he dreams big and meets and courts Sue.
The problem with having these stories running parallel is that even though the flashbacks are of a rom-commy nature, since we already know that Sue is Harry's wife in the present, there is not really too much excitement. The actors playing in the flashbacks are horrendously bad, including Pfeiffer and her ridiculous British accent, and while the actors in the present day are good, they don't get a lot of time on screen.
On top of that, processions are slow and the film is a real sleeper, so I would recommend people to stay away from it if you're not obsessed with Pfeiffers early movie work.
Best Friends (1982)
Few laughs
Richard and Paula write movies together. In fact they also live together, are best friends and have a sexual relationship. Richard is clearly in love with Paula and makes his feeling known, to which she replies that she doesn't love him. Bizarrely enough, they get married and spend the majority of the movie on a road trip visiting both set of parents which takes its toll on the fledgling marriage.
Though Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn have chemistry and make a pretty cute couple, I can't get over the fact that I don't buy the premise, Paula makes it clear she doesn't love Richard and even though she agrees to the marriage, their whole relationship feels shaky throughout. Another problem is that for a comedy, laughs are extremely rare, and only the wedding scene made me smile.
A couple of years later, When Harry met Sally was made, and Best Friends is inferior to it on every level. The acting, the chemistry and dialogue are far better, so making that comparison, Best Friends falls rather flat on its nose. That's not to say it is a bad movie, just an average movie in a commonly made genre, and I guess that's why it is almost forgotten today.
Call Girl (2012)
Powerful people can silence everyone, even filmmakers today.
This movie is a fictitious account of the infamous "Geijeraffären" from the mid 70's where powerful men of the upper Swedish hierarchies, even ministers, bought sexual favors from young call girls, provided for them by a notorious brothel madam.
The movie has a strong theme, about how men in powerful positions feel they are entitled to almost everything, even buying sex from underage girls. The men of the upper classes' abuse of power and money is shown very clearly, and they don't shy away from threats or even murder to cover up what they have done. The real focus though is on the unfortunate girls from society's lower classes, who are abused by these men without a second thought, and this makes for horrendous viewing that really makes you feel uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, the film's theme has somewhat been overshadowed by a controversy between the filmmakers and the Palme family. The hot topic is whether the prime minister in film is a portrayal of former Swedish prime minister Olof Palme or whether it is merely a fictional character. After initially defending their work, the director Michael Marcimain cowardly and spinelessly decided to cut his film, removing a key scene in a hotel room. Unfortunately, this leaves a HUGE plot hole, and the ending of the movie doesn't really make sense the same way without it.
Since I watched the censored blu-ray version I had to do some research afterward to piece together the importance of the missing scene with the rest of the movie.
The movie is a beautifully shot period piece and a top class conspiracy thriller reminding me of Robert Redford's best efforts back in the 70s like Three Days of the Condor or All the President's Men. However, it's tragic how the filmmakers failed do defend their excellent work and decided to cut their own movie after pressure from the Palme family. This act of cowardice is a source of frustration for everyone who is forced to watched the censored version and unfortunately this takes away some of the attention from the powerful theme of the film and what the filmmakers really wanted to say.
Mördaren ljuger inte ensam (2013)
Lacklustre first movie
Kicking off a new Swedish crime series based on Maria Lang's crime novels," Mördaren Ljuger inte ensam" was released in cinemas this spring. The main character Puck, played by Tuva Novotny, is invited to celebrate midsummer on a remote island. While initially reluctant, upon hearing that good-looking charmer Einar (Linus Wahlgren) will be present she agrees. The party guests all seem to be emotionally involved with one another and before long a killer starts to pick them off one by one.
Personally I couldn't believe another Swedish "killer on a remote island" would be released so soon after last year's Maria Wern thriller "Inte ens det förflutna". Both movies are about people traveling to remote islands to celebrate an occasion, but their boats break down and therefore there is no escape from the killer picking them off one by one. Even more strangely, actor Fanny Risberg stars in both movies, so I really wonder about the small world of Swedish cinema and its obvious lack of creativity and new ideas.
On the brighter side, the movie looks really good, the 50s settings look realistic and the camera-work and directing are of some quality. The actors are experienced well-known names who know how to do a good job, and I really liked watching relative unknown Ida Engvoll outshining many more experienced actors with her impressive performance as Lil. On the other hand, I found Tuva Novotny's Puck rather bland as a character, she doesn't really say or do much and therefore is more of an observer than a lead character, unfortunately.
The plot keeps you guessing most of the way through the movie, and I found myself thinking I had solved the mystery quite a few times before (of course) being proved wrong. I was quite disappointed at the anticlimactic ending though, which of course solves the mystery, but without any excitement or action. Overall, a decent first film of the series, but not on par with the likes of Wallander or Johan Falk just yet.
My Dinner with Andre (1981)
Odd and demanding, but certainly rewarding
This is indeed a very odd movie, and the kind of movie you'll rarely come across in cinemas nowadays. The basic plot is that two men, Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, sit down to have a nice meal and discuss some of the issues that are most important in their lives. Topics include the nature of the theatre, the complexities of acting, and life in general. The two men discuss art on a philosophical level, but also the meanings of life itself, drawing from their personal experiences.
It asks a lot from you as a viewer, it demands your total attention and you can't really multitask while watching because then you'll quickly be thrown off track. Keeping your attention on the movie has its rewards because the quality of the dialogue is overall very high.
Personally though I found the movie a bit uneven. The parts I found most interesting are those where they discuss their lives and their general reflections on it, and when they have differing opinions. The first part of the movie was a bit dull as it is completely dominated by Gregory talking about experimental theatre in a way that borders on rambling, and I was happy to see Wallace get a bit more attention later on. Certainly not a movie for a Friday with popcorn, but if you are interested in the nature of art itself and the theatre in particular you will find this movie rewarding.
Valkyrie (2008)
Bryan Singer surprises by making a war movie with few Hollywood clichés.
The July plot of 1944 is the focus of Bryan Singer's attempt at a US-made war movie about the desperate attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler in the face of German defeat in World War II.
The main character and the mastermind behind the plot, Colonel von Stauffenberg, is played by Tom Cruise, in a bit of a surprising casting choice. Though Cruise is no stranger to historical films (The Last Samurai for example) the part of von Stauffenberg is a very complex man. After all, his true motives are clouded in mystery.
So does Cruise pull it off? Not really. The performance is decent, but if you compare with other performances in similar movies like Adrien Brody's pianist, or Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's List. I suspect that the filmmakers know Cruise's limitations as well, since they have hired a stellar supporting cast including Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy and Terence Stamp.
Nevertheless, this is a surprisingly solid effort, and one of the better American war movies made in the 2000s. Since Americans are not really involved, the viewer is spared the usual patriotism and flag-waving so common in American war movies, instead the film focuses all-in on von Stauffenberg and his plot. I think the movie looks good, has a good pace and keeps you interested all the way even if you history buffs already know how it will end.
Criminal Minds: Bloodline (2009)
An X-files revival
As a distortion of a Romani family tradition, parents take their 10 year-old sons and break into homes, killing the parents and kidnapping their daughters. This forms the basis of this curious CM episode.
Mark Bruner's script makes me think of the first seasons of the X-files. It has all the mystery, the sense of something dangerous and foreign in your own country, and the general feeling of unease that I got from watching the X-files. It it also different from the usual CM episodes by having the "the danger is still out there"-ending that the X-files so often had.
However, I was a bit surprised at the very negative portrayal of Romanii people and gypsies in general, the show strongly confirms stereotypes of gypsies as traveling thieves with tinfoil in their bags to thwart theft alarms during their stealing sprees. I don't think Romani people are all too happy about the way they are portrayed here, and I doubt the show would have gotten away with it if another more vocal minority was portrayed in such unfavorable light.
Overall though, I liked the episode because it strayed from the usually all-to-obvious plot structure of most CM episodes.
The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)
Jaws in Africa
The story of how two man-eating lions delayed the construction of a railway bridge in Tsavo, Kenya in 1898, is one that fascinates me. The film is loosely based on the biographical account of Lt Col John Henry Patterson, played by Val Kilmer in the movie. Though the original story is decently written and very exciting to read, it is also clearly a work of its time, and some of the more racist undertones of the original short story has wisely been omitted from the film.
Halfway through the story something very strange happens. Being at least reasonably true to Patterson's account until then, the movie transforms into a carbon copy of Jaws! Suddenly throwing aside Patterson's story and all ties to reality, fictitious character Remington is introduced, horribly portrayed by Michael Douglas. This legendary huntsman is clearly the equivalent of Jaws's Quint, but unfortunately Douglas OTT-acting doesn't even come close to matching Robert Shaw's performance.
Despite the movie's obvious ambition to be a Jaws set in Africa (even down to the POV shots of the lions stalking their prey), I think lots of things work well. The ambition to emulate Jaws is at least partly successful, and the movie has some great suspenseful scenes. The extensive use of real lions Caesar and Bongo and very little animatronics means that the predator scenes look great, and I think the film benefits from being made in the mid-nineties with basically no CGI. The scenery (South Africa substituting for Kenya) looks stunning and the film is wonderfully shot, and together with the realistic animal this makes the movie look really good. The acting, apart from Douglas, is also solid with Kilmer being backed up by a strong supporting cast of Tom Wilkinson, Bernard Hill and Emily Mortimer to name a few.
Overall, I have a soft spot for "monster" movies and even though this has many flaws I think it is really entertaining and well worth watching!