Headhunters (2012)

This is the first movie from Norway I have seen, and I thought it was well done enough that I'm curious about sampling other movies from the country. It is interesting in a number of aspects. Unlike most Hollywood movies, the central character here is not totally likable, though even at his worst he is an intriguing character that you can't help but want to follow down his dark path. Speaking of dark paths, the movie goes through some pretty bleak territory. While it starts off fairly light, the movie slowly starts to get violent and brutal; there are a few moments that will make you cringe. Actually, some of this dark material is presented in a way that's not without humor, if you can appreciate black comedy. The wrappings around this package are solid as well; the production values are pretty good, giving the movie a slick look, albeit one that doesn't look Hollywood (you don't see any sunshine in this movie, just dark skies.) The movie is at times casually paced, but it's never so casual that it gets boring. If you think foreign films are nothing but arty and pretentious bores, give this movie a try - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Most of the people would be septic when they hear it's a Norwegian movie but Hodejegerne (or Headhunters) will prove them wrong. It's an excellent crime thriller with a lot of twists that keep you in suspense and entertained until the last second. I wish they would make more movies of this quality. Much better then most of the American high budget movies in this genre. Aksel Hennie plays Roger Brown, the headhunter and art thief, and does it brilliantly. Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau as Clas Greve might be better known as Jamie Lannister in Game of Thrones but here he proves he can act in whatever movie. In fact all actors did a great job. The movie might start slow but after a while you get sucked into the story and can't wait to see what's coming. I really enjoyed this one.

Let's get straight to the point, we have an affluent entrepreneur, (Roger Brown, an every-man's name) who, like so many lead characters, finds themselves dissatisfied with their lifestyle and make the crucial error of reaching for the forbidden unreachable.How does it happen? - Art theft. What makes it even better? The film is all about lead characters 'framing' one another, so off that premise I can certainly confirm something witty, something original and something fleshed out, that manages to not compromise itself with the oft visited action genre/scene that has been tainted heavily by ruinous releases from Hollywood - I could list them for eternity, but I won't. Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie) the 'headhunter' or 'corporate recruiter' finds himself messing with the wrong guy, an ex-mercenary, Clas Greve that is exquisitely acted by the now renowned Game of Thrones actor, Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau. From this, the film goes from strength to strength as we see Shakespearean-esque deception take the plot with both hands, and drive a previously 'secure' businessman into the ground as the theme of survival in rebirth is widely presented throughout. Themes of love, death, trust and religion are also in the mix and do come to capitalise in the latter scenes of the film, where the ultimate bond of trust through love is tested. It is all bound together in a good range of scenery, quality actors and a sound budget that doesn't make the film seem pretentious or "trying too hard" to be what it isn't. Overall I wasn't swayed by the subtitles, if anything it made the film seem so much more genuine to me. The acting delivered an above par thrill ride and the violence was just about right to quench any person's thirst for a very decent action flick. They rarely make them like this anymore... 9/10

I can't help myself. I'm awfully jaded at this point in my movie- viewing career and the thing I look for and care about most is originality. I really like odd, weird, or different, since I've seen nearly every possible permutation of normal and ordinary by now. That's why an unusual plot like this automatically scores a few extra points in my book, regardless of its other merits (or demerits, for that matter).Now, I don't want to give anything away here, but this movie gets pretty bloody and grim around halfway through, and I never thought it could be tied up in a neat fashion, but I was very wrong. It's slowly developing, but ultimately really original, gripping and twisty (twisted?). Definitely another hidden gem in the foreign thriller category--make it through the slow build-up and the brutality and violence that follows, and you will be well-rewarded at the end. I promise.