Hamilton: Dans l'intérêt de la nation

Exciting, good acting, scenes full of atmosphere. I hope to see more of Michael Persbrandt and the crew. I like the bad guy, really bad. Also in Mouna there are interesting perspectives. So. Wish the movie was longer - I would like to know the characters better... Shares some of its qualities with the new Bond-movies, ethically, aesthetically and Plot-wise. Well done by the female director! And by the way: High-level sound-work and music. I think that some of the mediocre reviews are connected to the fact that the movie is a threat to established concepts like 007.. So please - go on develop the unique Hamilton-concept.

I have not read any of Jan Guillou's Hamilton novels. I have thought about it but as of yet haven't gotten round to it. But from what I've heard about this movie it is very loosely based on the books. Most of the Hamilton books were written from the middle of the 1980s to the middle of 1990s. One could compare it to the movie Casino Royale in the way that it has been modernised to the post 9/11 world. So what I mean is this movie is completely self standing, you won't have to read the books or see any of the previous Hamilton movies.

So what did I think of this movie? The short answer: it is no more than an average action flick.

The look of the movie is outstanding for a Swedish one. I don't mean that in a bad way but it visually has taken a big step towards international standards. Sweden makes good movies but the action ones hasn't been their strongest. The technical aspects of this movie are just so impressive. Both the execution of the action scenes and the overall look of the film makes me think of the Bourne movies. And yes there is some shaky cam in the action. Still it's not a problem, it works fine most of the time helping to create this brutal feel that the movie has. And talking of brutal that is something the movie really is. A lot of graphic killing scenes and the characters take down guys with little hesitation. Is it unnecessary much? No I don't think so but don't expect the lean back action blockbuster type of film. Music fits well for the tone of the film but nothing memorable.

Those were the strong parts of Hamilton - I nationens intresse. Now on to the weak ones. The by far biggest weakness in it is the complete lack of a interesting story. It is something about private military companies and false flag operations. But half ways in to it one has pretty much lost track of what is really going on but it doesn't matter because the action is the only really entertainment you will find here. When I after the movie were talking to other about what story really was one realises that it is just the usual conspiracy stuff that you neither want nor need to follow. The only part where I saw the tiny glimmer of interest was Carl Hamilton as a character, so maybe I should go and read the books. But all this falls completely on the acting, oh the acting. It's a long time since I've seen performances as wooden as these. I mean one knows how Mikael Persbrandt acts and it is no difference here. He looks cool and has really trained his body up for the part but he shows less emotion than the Terminator. But I must partly blame the director here because it is not just him. The entire cast are more stiff than statues. And there are many actors here that I know can act, having seen them in many other movies. There is absolutely no life beneath the good looking surface. Neither in the story or the characters.

To sum up my short review of Hamilton - I nationens intresse. The production is great, looks stylish and the action is among the best I have seen in a Swedish film. But the dull plot and some of the worst acting I have seen in a long time makes this fail almost entirely as a whole.

This is the latest installment in the Hamilton franchise, the first feature film was made in 1989 (Täcknamn Coq Rouge)at that time Stellan Skarsgård played Hamilton. Over the years there have been many TV/film productions about Hamilton made specifically for a Swedish audience.

For people who are not familiar with the Hamilton series/franchise, its basically the Swedish equivalent to James Bond or Jason Bourne. Hamilton is a secret agent with a license to kill, has been trained by the US Navy Seals and undergone training at the Swedish special forces.

This film series is based on a popular book series written by left wing radical author/journalist Jan Guillou and therefore offers a more leftist, liberal point view in the world of espionage.

Hamilton - I nationens intresse (2012)is based on one of the novels that was written during the cold war and some storyline details, people, etc have been changed in order to update the material.

The story is pretty simple, Hamilton goes undercover with a group of Russian weapons smuggler who are stealing Swedish made rockets. But the smugglers gets attacked by a unknown group of heavily armed soldiers.

Hamilton suspects they might have connection to a Private military contractor, based in the USA. He starts to investigate, but quickly ends in trouble...

As I mentioned earlier there have been many adaptations of the books, mainly made for Swedish TV. The technical quality have been poor, or downright crappy. This film however has a very impressive, high, production value, direction and some nice action sequences, rarely seen in Swedish film.

Director Kathrine Windfeld seems to be very inspired by the films of Paul Greengrass, especially his work on the Bourne franchise.

Hamilton in this film is more darker, complex character, then I've ever seen him before. Mikael Persbrandt brings a lot of personality and depth, which is pretty impressive because the books portray him as an cartoon figure, superhero who has no flaws.

Here he is more human, flawed, brooding and is haunted by his job, the decisions he has to make. And how can he continue having this job and live a normal life? Its nice update by Kathrine Windfeld and screenwriter Stefan Thunberg.

Casting overall is pretty good but contains some surprises.

Seba Mubarak as Mouna Al Fathar, a PLO intelligence officer, friend and colleague to Hamilton is well casted. But the problem is that Mouna was more independent, in the books, and here almost does nothing other looking beautiful next to Hamilton.

It isn't Seba Mubarak fault, mainly a script flaw, and a waste of a talented actress who has nothing do. But I was surprised that they didn't cast some Swedish actors with middleastern background, like Nina Zanjani, Nour El-Refai etc.

Lennart Hjulström as Hamiltons closest boss and father figure is excellent and does his job perfect. And he comes close to the original in the books.

Jason Flemyng as Rob Hart is good but I felt that this should been played by an American actor, someone like Michael Madsen, Michael Biehn etc. Rob Hart is one of the bad guys and Flemyng seems to have had a lot of fun with the character.

The biggest problem with this film is the script, it touches on some very interesting subjects like Swedish weapons export, corruption among Swedish politicians, private military contractors, but unfortunately Stefan Thunberg doesn't manage to fit the pieces together.

Too bad, because recently a new discussion has blossomed in Sweden over sales of weapons to Saudi arabia. Also and ongoing discussion about certain politicians and their connections to an oil company called Lundin Oil.

One of the largest stock holders is Swedish minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt. When two Swedish journalists wanted to investigate Lundin oils affairs in Sudan, they were arrested. Bildt has so far done nothing to release them.

All the above mentioned is touched upon but never developed throughout the film.

So a very flawed film experience but with higher production values then usual. So future viewers who expect this film to be better then Green Zone (2010), Shooter (2007) might be disappointed.

But it is worth a rental, mainly because of Persbrandts approach to Hamilton.

That's not me saying or asking that, but what the majority of the people who rented it at our videostore kept saying. So there must be something to it then I guess. He has the stoic charisma of the famous British actor, but you shouldn't really compare the movies (Bond on one hand and this on the other).

Hamilton is a pretty neat and slick movie that has a few things going for it. There is a fight scene towards the end, that is really good. There are a few developments that you might not foresee as they happen and it does not take prisoners. Very uncompromising then, but very good for it too. It's an international cast, with a big conspiracy and a view on the world, that some might feel is very close to reality. Whatever you may think about plausibility though, the movie is very well executed ... no pun intended

Very nice movie from Sweden. I had a quick look at the critics written before this one and must say: Sweden was not famous for Action Movies but this will change if they shoot more like Hamilton. Very nice Cinematography and good casting. I don't see the point in complaining about the plot, the plot is similar to a James Bond or Bourne Story and it works just fine for me. And it did also work for the Swedish audience with about 360'000 admissions two weeks after its opening in Sweden. Looks like they have just waited for this one. If I got it right, then this is the first film out in the trilogy based on the novels by Jan Guillou. So there is a lot to look forward for me. I like it a lot to see when more Swedish productions are aiming at an international audience. We have had this with the Millennium trilogy as well.