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Films of Norway

Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2012

2012 has came and gone, and the world didn’t end! To celebrate our spared existence, I present my top 10 favorite films from last year. As usual, we start things out with some noteworthy titles. As always, this is a tough list to put together, but it should certainly not be taken as any kind “best” list, for who am I to say what classifies something as the best? These are just those that stood out and made the biggest impact for me personal this past year.

Honorable mentions

Arbitrage starring Richard Gere was a solid and stylish drama surrounding a business man dealing with the ramifications of some bad decisions; while the trailer may have given away most of the movie, People Like Uswas a heartfelt and emotional family-driven drama with some excellent performances; indie coming-of-parenthood dramedy Small, Beautifully Moving Parts was quite charming, mostly due by a extraordinary performance by Anna Margaret Hollyman; Indie it-girl (I question my own use of that term, in any case…) Greta Gerwig steals the show in Lola Versus which has some really well done scenes, but resides in an overdone genre; Beasts of the Southern Wild displayed a magical method of storytelling in an emotion-filled tale of a father and daughter surviving in the wake of a disastrous storm in the bayou; Liam Neeson showed he’s still a badass even in the face of man-hungry wolves in the icy cold thriller The Grey; Joseph Gordon-Levitt killed it in Premium Rush as a New York City bike messenger who performs adrenaline-filled stunts to get away from a corrupt cop played by a villainous Michael Shannon; it came as a surprise, but Jessica Biel delivered what I’d personally consider an Oscar-deserving performance in The Tall Man, her monologue is the icing on the cake of this dark and moody mystery; and finally there was Man on a Ledge, the clever crime flick about a man (Sam Worthington) standing on the ledge of a skyscraper while a heist is taking place, but it isn’t without some twists and surprises.

10. The Hobbit

This perhaps could have appeared higher on my list, but as I mentioned in the intro this was incredibly tough. The epic adventure from the world of The Lord of the Rings follows the story of the book The Hobbit, which precedes the Rings series. The film is just as epic as Peter Jackson’s Rings triology, filled with florious visuals, an exciting storyline and tons that overall magic that was felt with the Rings films. I’m definitely looking forward to the second two films in this new trilogy.

9. Moonrise Kingdom

Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola tell the tale of young love in true Wes Anderson fashion. The quirky characters, fantastic costumes, and overall beautifully strange style makes this love story a treat for the eyes and ears. The film does a great job of capturing the spirit of youth, young love, and rebellion but in a most unique fashion.

8. Beyond the Black Rainbow

And the award for Most Bizarre Film of the Year goes to…Beyond the Black Rainbow! This movie had to be on my list as it is one of the most bizarre and unique films I’ve seen for a while. What stands out the most is its 80s-inspired style. The film look, the colors, the music, everything screams retro but without feeling gimmicky. Filmmaker Panos Cosmatos was apparently channeling his youth days of watching late night TV when coming up with this film, but the final product is a psychological trip and an aesthetic feast.

7. Prometheus

The film takes place in the Alien universe, but not being well-versed in that particular universe I went into this film with an open mind and no expectations (other than I would be seeing my fave, Noomi Rapace, and would likely be seeing some cool visuals). I was truly blown away by the visuals and the mythology behind the story, so much that I desperately wanted more. My only negative is that the film really lacked a lot with the characters and their stories.

6. The Hunger Games

The book got me excited, but I was very surprised when the film ended up being one of the best book-to-movie adaptations I’ve seen. The attention to detail was great, the acting was superb, and the futuristic visuals were incredibly pulled off. Though it was a longer film, they managed to cram most of the film’s details in (though what I would consider some key parts were left out). Perhaps that was also a downside for the film; many parts seemed rushed and those that seemed significant in the book didn’t seem so much so in the film.

5. Ruby Sparks

Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan (who also wrote the film) have great chemistry in this hilarious yet emotional gem about a writer who invents the love of his life through his writing, only to realize she suddenly appears in his life as his real girlfriend. The clever and playfully silly concept is a breath of fresh air, and the acting and writing really bring it to life. While it may seem more like a fantasy, the relationship aspects of the film are realistic and emotional.

4. Hitchcock

Anthony Hopkins revives a real-life character in Hitchcock, the biopic about arguably one of the best filmmakers in history, Alfred Hitchcock, and his making of the film Psycho. The film was extremely interesting to me for two reasons: the dramatic look at the making of a great film like Psycho during the time it came out (1960) in the midst of extreme controversy, knowing the success it would have (and continue to have); and the portrayal of Hitchcock himself, which Hopkins does with all the right mannerisms. The film feels much like a comedy at times, but when thinking about the real story it’s even more effective.

3. The Hunter

The Hunter is a truly gripping thriller that is driven by a demanding performance by WIllem Dafoe. Dafoe plays a mercenary hired to hunt down what is believed to be the last of the Tasmanian Tigers. The cold and snowy scenery is breathtaking, but also adds to the dark and mysterious tone of the film. At times I felt that the film seemed a little slow, mostly because there are several long shots with very little to no talking, but it knew how to pick things up when it needed to.

2. Perks of Being a Wallflower

I have always been drawn to films about loners, misfits, losers, outcasts, etc. Perhaps I can identify with some aspects of those characters, but in any case, I always appreciate a film not following cliche heroes and supermodels. This film is based on the book by the same name about such a loner (Logan Lerman) who befriends an eccentric brother and sister. Authentic acting performances bring the realism to the story, which is filled with true emotion from both the funny and the sad parts of growing up, finding love, and dealing with personal demons.

1. Headhunters

Ever since 2009′s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (the Swedish film), I have always been on the lookout for Scandinavian thrillers. Like the Dragon Tattoo films, Headhunters is also based on a book by a hugely popular author, Jo Nesbø. This Norwegian crime thriller follows a man who’d otherwise seem quite average, if it were not for his success as a corporate headhunter and secret art thief. When the main character, Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie) steals his latest piece, he winds up in a mess he didn’t expect. The film is full of twists and turns, laughs and cringes, and it doesn’t let up. I also have to mention that it’s hard to believe that this was the first role for the actress who played Roger’s wife DIana, Synnøve Macody Lund. This film has everything I look for in the genre, and it left me craving more!

Headhunters (2012)

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Director: Morten Tyldum
Writer(s): Lars Gudmestad, Ulf Ryberg, and Jo Nesbø (novel)
Cast: Aksel Hennie, Synnøve Macody Lund, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Eivind Sander
Rated: R (gory violence, nudity)
Sites: IMDb/trailer Official movie site
Notes: Official Facebook

aka Hodejegerne

I have always had a big interest in Scandinavian films. I don’t often come across them in my neck of the woods, but almost always I end up loving their films. Once I saw the trailer for the Norwegian film Headhunters, based on the novel by the increasingly popular author Jo Nesbø, I just had a feeling I would love it.

The film is introduced by its main character, Roger Brown (Askel Hennie), who gives us the insight into his life. One the outside, the relatively short man has a glamorous life complete with a fancy house, nice car, expensive suits, and a gorgeous wife (a breakout performance by newbie Synnøve Macody Lund). As they usually are, things are different behind the scenes for Roger. Aside from some issues with his marriage, Roger happens to also have the secret of being an art thief when he’s not doing his day job as a corporate headhunter.

Roger’s wife, Diana, happens to own an art gallery. As fate would have it, an acquaintance of Diana’s, Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) tells her about a very rare painting he is in the possession of. Upon hearing of this, Roger decides this is his next mark. Roger, along with his accomplice Ove (Eivind Sander) coordinate the heist. The situation turns out to be more than what Roger bargained for when its discovered Clas is a former mercenary and a big wig of a tech company that makes GPS tracking devices.

The film’s sly sense of humor and charismatic lead immediately drew me into the picture, but I have to say once the action of the plot kicked in, I couldn’t turn away. I honestly didn’t expect the action the film had, and the several twists and turns it took. The movie just doesn’t let up, but it’s far more than just being about the action. The storyline is clever and exciting and the film does a great job of building on the characters and making us feel something for them.

Headhunters is yet another example of how the Scandinavians are doing something so right that Hollywood can’t seem to grasp. The movie was an exciting thriller while also having a well thought out plot and well written characters. What I really appreciated was the amount of dark humor the film had, which wasn’t arbitrarily added in, it naturally added some comic relief without being turning the film into a farce. There’s also the drama between the characters, especially Roger and Diana, that felt genuine and again built on our feelings towards the characters.

This film is likely my favorite of the year. It had it all: crime, action, plot twists, and the pacing was perfect. The film looks great and has a cool style to it, but it manages to pull of being a stylish flick without showboating or coming off as being full of itself. Headhunters is certainly a serious film, but it’s intelligent way of combining the many aforementioned traits keep it quite entertaining.

Monitor, The (2012)

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Director/writer: Pål Sletaune
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Kristoffer Joner, and Vetle Qvenild Werring
Rated: R (language, some violence)
Film is distributed by Lionsgate | IMDb/trailer

aka Babycall

Being a huge Noomi Rapace fan since the first time I saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I’ve been interested in everything else she’s done since. I saw the original trailer of The Monitor, also known as Babycall, and knew it was also one I needed to see. A year later, I was excited that the foreign film made its way to our shores. One thing I wasn’t certain about, however, was what exactly the film was all about. The trailers suggested it was a thriller, but that was about all I could gather.

The film follows Anna (Rapace), a single mother who moves into a new apartment with her young son Anders (Vetle Qvenild Werring). Right away we assume Anna has had some trouble when two child protective officers arrive at the home to make sure Anders is being taken care of properly. We soon learn that Anders was nearly killed by his father and that the mother and son had escaped. As a result, Anna is overprotective and often paranoid, so much to the point she buys a baby monitor so that she can feel comfortable about Anders sleeping in a separate room.

I couldn’t help but think of another role Noomi played in a Danish film called Daisy Diamond. Her character was also called Anna in that film in addition to be a single mother as well. From seeing her as Lisbeth in the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, it was hard to picture her as a mother figure, but she surprises in both films (in more ways than one). What is it about this young lady that makes her portray such tragic characters so convincingly? While she surprisingly does pull off a motherly character well, her character’s in both films are not without a bit of darkness and tragedy of their own.

Anna in The Monitor faces several conflicts. Most important is caring for her son while keeping child protective services at bay. However, once she purchases the baby monitor, strange sounds of a child potentially being killed start coming through the receiver. This causes a stir of worry in Anna’s head. It’s not long before she starts to fear for her and her son’s lives, while also investigating the suspicious transmission. Anna may also be facing an even bigger enemy: herself.

Anna meets an awkward shy guy named Helge (Kristoffer Joner) at the electronics store when she buys the baby monitor. This event brings a new hope into Anna’s life, but at the same time introduces new questions to both Anna and the viewer. I had a hard time fully understanding what was going on from the beginning, but as it played out it only got more complicated. As Anna gets closer to Helge, more of what happens in the film becomes questionable.

This is a movie that might turn many people off. It poses arguably more questions than answers and in the end still may leave one scratching one’s head. However I enjoy a movie that challenges the audience. The film is a dark psychological drama that puts the viewer in the mind of Anna. We see and hear what she does, which is why it can often be confusing. That is perhaps why I found the film fascinating. Anna is a complex character, and the more we get to know her the more layers we begin to uncover.

For a fan of Noomi such as myself, the film is a definite pleasure. She shows versatility while still channeling the damaged and troubled woman that she does unspeakably well. The film’s enigmatic story and characters sucked me in. The pacing lagged a bit at times, which makes it tough with an already mentally straining storyline, but the effectiveness makes it worth it. While there are some loose ends and the rushed explanation at the ending only throws things askew even more, the cerebral suspense and convincing performances in The Monitor offer a thought-provoking and surprisingly shocking experience.

King of Devil’s Island (2011)

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Director: Marius Holst
Writers: Mette M. Bølstad (story), Lars Saabye Christensen (story), Dennis Magnusson (screenplay), and Eric Schmid (screenplay)
Cast: Stellan Skarsgård, Benjamin Helstad, Trond Nilssen, and Kristoffer Joner
Rated: Unrated (violence)
Distributed by Film Movement | IMDb/trailer

aka Kongen av Bastøy

Something about Scandinavian films always intrigues me. The cold, often bleak atmosphere frequently provides a fitting backdrop to raw and dismal tales. King of Devil’s Island is a perfect example of this, from the cold, rugged setting to the intense and unsettling scenarios. To top it off, the film is based on true events which adds that level of realism that really immerses the viewer into the story.

The film takes place on Bastøy, an island-bound reform school for boys that existed in Norway in the early 1900s. When Erling (Benjamin Helstad) arrives, he’s got only one goal on his mind: to escape. Erling is soon enough introduced to the way of the island which is relentlessly led by its governor (Stellan Skarsgård). The staff rule harshly, enforcing grueling manual labor and crude discipline. Not willing to forfeit his freedoms as a human being, Erling rebels which ultimately leads many other boys to follow suit.

While the governor genuinely seems to believe he’s doing good by the boys through his strict demeanor and beliefs, it’s apparent his power has gone to his head, causing him to lose a bit of humanity. We see a few scenes with the governor and his wife which was one area of the film I would have liked to have seen more of – I felt like there was a lot more depth there that could have been uncovered. Many of the school staff on the other hand don’t seem to care at all for the boys, often treating them as sub-beings. One housemaster (Kristoffer Joner) commits the most foul of abuses which causes tremendous outrage with many of the boys, mainly Olav (Trond Nilssen) – a 6 year resident of the island who befriends Erling.

The abuse and heartlessness of the school staff is hard to swallow, especially when reminding oneself of the true story behind the film. Our character Erling is seen as a rebellious troublemaker to the adults, but to the other boys he’s a hero, representing freedom and courage. He is just what the repressed boys needed to instill a sense of hope. As situations heighten, an uprising soon takes place which results in a face-off between the boys and the Norwegian military.

King of Devil’s Island had me on the edge of my seat nearly the entire length of the movie. The acting, aside from that of veteran Skarsgård which goes without saying, is simply superb and realistic. The young and inexperienced cast and the realism they portray are the driving forces behind the film. Every scene of conflict is gripping and intense, while the more subtle moments, especially those between Erling and Olav, are hopeful and almost poetic.

While not a feel-good movie, the film has a lot of what I enjoy including realistic and believable acting and a gripping story that doesn’t let up. I can’t help but find beauty in the cold and snowy landscape, which makes these types of stories all the more effective. The film is well polished but also feels raw where called for which really helps set the tone for each scene.

The film really leaves one with a lot of thoughts. The story is full of tragedy but still offers amounts of hope for the viewer. I found myself feeling all kinds of emotions throughout. Part of me sympathized with the governor, I understood his intentions but felt his approach was misguided. I also felt for the boys, who must have felt discarded and unwanted by society. What King of Devil’s Island does so well is that it combines great storytelling with effective performances that really evoke the viewer’s emotions by really making us feel for the characters and getting us involved in the story. Combining my love for Scandinavian movies and movies based on true stories, King of Devil’s Island did not disappoint and really stuck with me.

Død snø (Dead Snow) (2009)

Nazi zombies vs. Norwegian medical students, what more can you ask for?

Rated: n/a (extreme violence) | Review date: 14-Oct-2009

If the idea of a group of co-eds in their 20s going on a ski trip, only to find that it’s been the host of some dead Nazis with unfinished business, sounds like a great idea for a movie, you’d be right. Dead snow combines classic slasher horror, humor, and plenty of gratuitous gore. I mean, how can a movie not be good with a tagline like “Ein! Zwei! Die!”?

The story is fresh with plenty of hilarious moments. It takes place in the snowy mountains of Norway, where a group of medical students on holiday are planing on an exciting vacation full of wild ski adventures, partying, and cabin romance. The cabin they are staying at belongs to the family of Vegard’s (Lasse Valdal) girlfriend Sara, who is supposed to meet them there. Things start to seem out of place, however, when Sara doesn’t show and the students are payed a visit by a creepy hiker (Bjørn Sundquist). The hiker warns of the dark secret possessed by the mountains, only to be received by laughs.

The cast is great, making up a fairly diverse group. I’ve not been exposed to Norwegian cinema prior, so all of the names are unknown to me, however I hope to hear more of them in the future. My favorite character was the horror film buff, Erlend (Jeppe Laursen), who’s met by one of the best (or worst, depending on your prespective) deaths in the film. Everyone else carries their own weight, providing a variety of perosnalities and unique reactions to the different scenarios.

Possibly the best thing about this film is the zombies. While many classic zombie lovers will not appreciate the quickness of the zombies, one really has to appreciate the makeup and the whole Nazi concept. The Nazi crew, lead by the fierce and intimidating Herzog (Ørjan Gamst), are a ravenous bunch, that clearly have some loose ends to tie up. Overall Dead Snow combines the classic elements of slashers and zombie gore movies with a unique and interesting back story. It’s got plenty of suspense, laugh out loud moments, and extreme violent scenes that at times can’t help but give us a good feeling of revenge. Dead Snow is a bloody masterpiece of horror comedy, and a must watch for any horror fan.

Rating: 6 out of 7

IMDb/trailer

Official site

DVD at Amazon (PAL format)