Tueur d'état

Who was behind the murder of progressive Swedish leader Olof Palme in 1986? More than twenty years after the deed, the crime remains unsolved. This movie avoids naming real names behind the murder, but it suggests an international right wing conspiracy. The movie is shot as a thriller and the main characters are a Swedish police officer who suspects something big and ominous is going to happen in his country and tries unsuccessfully to prevent it, a mysterious but strangely charming British contract killer ready to pull the trigger, and a beautiful Swedish journalist whose choice of lover ends quite badly for her. I found this movie quite interesting, even though I'm not Swedish and I don't know a lot about Swedish politics.

An excellent, intelligent film, well written and played. Michael Kitchen is superb as the cold-blooded assassin, much more believable than some indestructable beefcake "actor". The closest comparison I can think of is to the original "Day of the Jackal" film. Thankfully, we are spared any speculation as to who was involved in a conspiracy, only that the web of intrigue stretches far and wide. Can be strongly recommended, partly for historical interest, mostly as a good example of Swedish film-making (or indeed any film-making). It would be a great pity if the Swedish origin prevented it from reaching a wider audience.

A brilliant movie, with a standard but good and complex plot that changes all the time. (Even better than any of the Swedish Hamilton and also the Beck movies where the main actor Mikael Persbrandt plays a main support role.) The plot is built upon the assasination of Prime Minster Olof Palme. One pregnant error in the script concerns the Swedish political party EAP which is used as one of the scape goats. It never was a right-wing nazi party as shown in the movie. Still, the movie is one of the best thrillers I have seen in a bout one year. It is better than the best US movies, such as "Enemy of the State" due to the higher complexity and the high social realism which is more typical of European movies.

Being tired of watching U.S. detective and spy movies, with all their over used cliches (the spy who falls in love and must not, as in "The Saint", the nice looking hero who saves the free world, the Russians as being always the evil guys and sort of) all I can say about this one is that it recaptures the original meaning of detective movies, and shows us at the same time a new perspective (the troubles by keeping the detective job secret from the family, the unusual emotional ties between the assassin and a journalist, the passive role of the government in the crime, etc).

A very well time-paced movie with a intelligent and mature plot rarely seen in detective and action movies this days. I strongly recommend it.

This is the story about the killing of one of the greatest politicians in Swedish history, Olof Palme. Like the murder of JFK, many questions has popped up if involvment stretches as high as up to the government. Mikael Persbrandt shows, as usual, a superb way of playing his role. This time he plays a police on the track of the Palme-killer. Kjell Sundvall directs with perfect timing and speed, and gives the film a perfect touch. These two components bring this film up to my top10 Swedish films-list. Simply excellent!