Ein Fall für Annika Bengtzon: Nobels Testament

Well so far what I have garnered from the other reviews of this series is that the previous critics are hard to please. I'd like to see just one of them come up with a story as compelling as this one. I think it advisable to remember: this is a Suspense Novel on Film ....not a Steven Spielberg Classic! The plot line was excellent, the acting superlative, photography crisp; editing spot on and with Stockholm as a backdrop, this is a winner of a production.

And apparent newcomer Malin Crepin is a credible breath of fresh air. I found her delightful to watch and her character studied and believable!

Let's try to remember people......this is entertainment......not rocket science! Creativity, new places and fresh talent never gets tired!

Yet another Nordic noir series, this time centring on a female, mother-of-two newspaper reporter who in this first character and scene-setting episode just happens to find herself Jilly-on-the-spot as witness to a cold blooded murder at the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm. Based on a series of crime novels based on this character which I've not read, this was an entertaining enough story, even if it seemed obvious at times that the story was abridged to fit the 90 minute TV framework.

The concept of course is a bit old-fashioned too (are there really still crime reporters out there risking life and limb to get their stories?) and the handling of the material noticeably lighter than say, the Stiegg Larsson trilogy or "The Bridge", the story rattling along, plot holes and all, with the usual diversions to develop back-stories for the lead character, unsurprisingly concerning her two young children and to a lesser extent her boyfriend. Malin Crepin, looking like a young Meg Ryan, carries the lead part well, even if at this stage, her character doesn't posses a lot of depth.

Stylishly shot in that wonderful natural daylight style common to all the recent contemporary Scandinavian series around and making the almost clichéd use of the panoramic, establishing, on-high city scape shots to kick-start scenes and capably acted by all the actors, while a number of settings and situations are reminiscent of the other series mentioned before, for all its lack of originality, this first episode proved entertaining and just about exciting enough to entice me back for future programmes in the series.

In Stockholm, it's icy cold outside, while inside, a people-filled Nobel Banquet's warm air is punctuated by two 'poof' sounds that come from a silencer of a stealth assassin.

A crime reporter, Annika Bengtzon, unwittingly becomes part of the news herself after witnessing the murder up close. And that's just the beginning.

'Nobel's Last Will' is a nicely paced thriller from beginning to end.

Although the film was produced by Yellow Bird Productions, the same people behind Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, 'Last Will' is not as gritty, but very slick. The production look is almost sterile, which must be intentional, since it's largely based around scientists who work in pristine cell research labs. Even the offices of the tabloid Kvällspressen, where reporter Bengtzon works, is squeaky clean.

Still, this is a Swedish film that has a lot going for it. Based on the best selling novel by Swedish author, Lisa Marklunds, it's well cast. The assassin is as icy as the frozen Lake Mälaren in Stockholm. And, especially Malin Crépin, playing the lead character, is a warm, determined, and smart woman as we follow her both at work, and at home with her family.

It's refreshing to watch a crime-thriller with a distinctly Swedish touch, not only visually, but also with the right amount of suspense and humanity.

As another entry in the never-ending series of Yellow Bird-produced Swedish crime dvds. "Nobel's last will" is a film reboot of the character Annika Bengtzon. Liza Marklund's crime reporter has not been seen on film for nearly a decade, and this reboot feels fresh in my opinion, thanks in part to the very apt casting of relative unknown Malin Crépin in the title role, which she handles really well. Overall, the quality of acting is probably what works best in the movie, the supporting cast is very experienced and skillful consisting of many experienced Swedish actors.

Full marks for producing movies with an interesting female protagonist, which is not that common in the crime genre, and her being a reporter and not a police officer opens up different possibilities and story angles.

The main problem and a major reason that I don't like this movie very much is the formulaic structure of the plot, using plot devices that I've seen a thousand times before. Those of us who have watched Swedish 80s crime series "Hassel" will immediately realize what is about to happen when one of the characters enter a freezer, for example.

Another problem is the poor quality of the special effects, which are so obviously fake that it hurts to watch. Blowing up a new car was clearly not an option for a film crew on a limited budget for example, so instead they opted to involve SFX-firm The Chimney Pot which came up with a car explosion so horrible it must surely be a candidate for worst SFX of the year, and sadly it ruins much of the viewing experience when the poor quality of the movie-making is so obvious.

Overall, this is a decent Swedish crime-flick, but don't expect anything else than a usual run-of-the-mill generic crime film we've seen so many of lately.