Nobel

Participation in modern peacekeeping operations has given countries like Norway new oppurtunities to show their skills and values more on wider international level. Mostly successfully, but everything has its price and influences on participants... All this is rather well depicted in Nobel where people working in various govenrmental institutions have to daily (re)assess their own concepts and attitudes.

But for me, for a person quite familiar with living in Nordic countries, not all the events shown seem plausible - as Norway is one of the least corrupted and most secure countries in the world. So the thrill and tension tend to fade away sometimes, and the main theme full of development aid, NGO contracts and guarding services do not let to share common feelings; the switch from personal issues to others is not always smooth as well. Moreover, in the last episode, you start to figure out what happens, and the very final scenes are too "rounding up", i.e. trivial.

The performances, however, are good, particularly Aksel Hennie as Lieutenant Erling Riiser and Anders Danielsen Lie as Lieutenant Jon Petter Hals; female characters are sketchier as often in films depicting war and military. Thus, from me, 8 points for acting and 6 for plot; the title is also confusing.

Nobel is not a bad Norwegian series, but I find e.g. Okkupert, Frikjent, Rød snø more versatile and catchier for "wider" audience.

I started watching Nobel on Netflix and was hooked from the first episode and ended up watching the whole series over two nights.The opening credits and sound track are haunting and I cant get the music out of my head. One reviewer has gone in to detail about the acting,cinematography and military inaccuracies. The acting was great and all the characters believable,the camera work sound and regarding the military inaccuracy its entertainment not a training film, I'm an ex soldier and as my kids always say to me " Just shut up and watch it dad your not there" so watch it and enjoy,and I hope they make another series.

This gives a surprisingly complex portrait of tension through stories of family, war and class. In its dramatic prowess, although very succinct, this looks like a period piece. And in its reenactment of professional politics, it's prudent and amazingly attentive.

Nobel is a stunning portrayal of the complexities of the war in Afghanistan and points to why after more than a decade of fighting this war is still ongoing with no end in sight.

The story evolves around an elite special forces group from Norway whose leader is ordered to complete a mission while on leave after returning home.

The characters are strong and believable and will draw you into their lives as their world teeters on collapse when the competing sides of politics of peace and business collide.

It demonstrates real world politics and how a peace nation like Norway and not unlike Canada and other nations have had to not only be peace keepers but peace makers and more. One difference is that Norway is also about to award the Nobel Peace Prize with all the political intrigue that it involves.

Nobel was brilliantly shot and this Canadian was drawn into the story and look forward to a second season. Again well done.

After Headhunters, I'll watch anything with Aksel Hennie in it. He conveys so much without even speaking. Nobel is a realistic look at the conflict in Afghanistan. I love the understated Norwegian way. No need to brag. Just get it done. We see the skill but also the humanity of a Spec Ops team serving tours in Afghanistan. The story line also follows the political efforts at making oil deals with the various factions of government and Taliban.In 2011, the Chinese eventually landed the deal. But exploration and mining will be fraught with difficulties in a country which, despite assistance from several countries to establish a government, today suffers a resurgence of terrorist factions.