I had the opportunity to watch the 2011 Norwegian thriller called Hodejegerne. I know that for most of you (and me) that Norwegian title is meaningless. But if you translate the title to English. you’ll have Headhunters.
This film is about a high level headhunter who finds executives for large and wealthy corporations. But as we find out rather quickly, his real career is that of an art thief.
He meets these top of the food chain executives, who are looking for even better deals, susses them out, and when he strikes gold, he not only has a possible candidate for the position he’s been hired to fill, but he also has a target who owns art, has a set schedule, and most importantly – a home that will be empty.
So our hero is called Roger Brown. He lives in elegant modern home, has a statuesque and beautiful trophy wife – Diana, and more than anything else, he commits these thefts to keep his wife living in the style he thinks she wants.
At a cocktail party, Roger is introduced to a man, Clas Greve, who might be a candidate for the Pathfinder CEO job that he’s been working on. But more importantly, Brown is told that this man owns an original Rubens painting. Visions of millions dance before Brown’s eyes; and that’s about all the set up you need.
The film was sharp, and clever with plenty of unexpected events. It is extremely well made, and I’m telling you that it really was a thriller. It is also not for the squeamish though the violence blends in very well in the sense that they don’t make it more important than the plot .
The film carries a MPAA rating of R (Restricted) for bloody violence, including some quite grisly images, strong sexual content, and nudity. In short – it’s got it all.
Some background – the film is directed by Morten Tyldum, but more importantly the screen play for this film was adapted from the Jo Nesbo novel. Nesbo is an author whose books have been translated into forty languages. His books are best sellers across the globe. In fact, this film was so highly anticipated that it was sold to more than 50 distributors world- wide upon its release.
Just so you know, the rights to make an English language version of this film have already been sold to Summit Entertainment and Yellow Bird even before the Norwegian version was released. In case you have forgotten, Yellow Bird was also behind the Swedish language films of the Millenium Trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo etc) from the Stieg Larsson novels.
Beyond that, Martin Scorsese has also been hired to direct an adaption of Nesbo’s novel, The Snowman, which I have ordered but won’t have it until April. So it is quite clear that this one, Headhunters, or Hodejegerne, has an impressive pedigree.
Now for the cast: Brown is played by Aksel Hennie, the blonde wife Diana is played by Synnove Macody Lund in her first ever film role, and Clas Greve is played by Nickolaj Coster-Waldau who some of you may have seen in a featured role on the HBO Series – Game of Thrones.
I think it was a very exciting film, and the fact that I wasn’t familiar with any of the cast helped increase the excitement because everything was new to me. The film plays out to ever escalating action and with each action set piece there’s an accompanying revelation.
As for the setting and location of where the film was made – it was all Norway, but in all honesty, they don’t go out of their way to establish any notable or recognizable locations.
The film is rich in imaginative and different settings, some are entirely unexpected. As are some of the twists and turns that the film tosses at you. Suffice to say, this is not your standard art-heist caper film.
But if you’re looking for an edge of your seat, suspenseful, taut and tense thriller, this one more than fills the bill. Have a look at this teaser trailer and you’ll be hooked. Four point zero is my rating.
Comments
Sorry, but I can’t agree that this movie deserves a 4.0 rating. Although I don’t want to ruin the suspense by stating all my reservations, I’ll just say I found this movie to be “clever but silly.”
In my opinion, Headhunters fails for three reasons. First, the protagonist, who is “too smart for his own good,“ cheats, steals, lies, betrays and takes advantage of everyone he meets, Otherwise, he kills them. And he’s the hero! Some guys deserve the crap that happens to them. And you just don’t give a shit!
Second, many plot details were too farfetched. In the middle of a tense robbery scene, the thief, decides to have a phone chat, and it just so happens, that he dials the phone in the next room? After shaving your head without any water, shaving cream, or a mirror, your hair is fully restored (and beautifully groomed) in time for next month’s business meeting? Cops park perpendicularly across the summit of a narrow mountain road and refuse to move when warned of the approaching traffic? I hope you get the idea why I say the script was not convincing. If not see the movie for yourself. There’s a ton more chances to regain your disbelief.
Finally, the movie has no soul. No message to think about other than trying to choose which theme you’re willing to buy: style wins over substance, reputation is more important than integrity, the only failure is getting caught, or, love excuses any crime. I don’t buy any of these choices. For me, this movie comes up short.
Excellent observations. I agree that there was much that required you to look the other way with regard to making sense or simply being believable. But I stand by my statement of the film being exciting.
Then again MI4 strained for believability as well.
In short while I can’t dispute any of your reactions – a thriller doesn’t always need to make sense yet can still thrill, criminals consider their successes by coming away with the objects and not getting caught, and given the number of cases in the real world about corporate waste and outright mismanagement that might be considered criminal, I’m not sure that integrity is valued higher than reputation on that level.
But from a film viewer’s perspective, there’s nothing wrong with looking for high standards as well as expecting them from film-makers as well as script-writers.
Scandinavian cinema has really piqued our interest of late. Combine that with guns and intrigue, and we have a possible winner. Looking forward to finding Hodejegerne somewhere online (legally; we’re tired of viruses and the like). Thanks for posting a review.
Nice review and good to see you liked it as much as I did