Mannen från Mallorca

I got tricked into watching Mannen från Mallorca (or The Man From Majorca for the English title) by reading the extremely positive reviews for this movie, going from "Close to perfection" to "A mindboggling crime story" or even "Best swedish movie ever!!". Best Swedish movie ever, that's from reviewer johannes-62391, that watched this movie 20 to 25 times, yes I know it's laughable as who on earth would watch a movie that many times? Needless to tell you that this reviewer only has two reviews, and is probably Swedish. You get what I mean... I wished IMDb would do something about these kind of reviews. That said this movie is just okay, was probably better when it came out but it didn't age very well. The acting is okay, the story on the other hand is a bit confusing, a bit boring, lacking action. In short I wouldn't waste your time with this one.

Great dialogue, very exciting story and a superb cast - especially Von Brömssen, Vollter and Günther!!

This movie is an excellent time document full of critic towards swedish society in the early '80s.

I've seen it 20-25 times and I always enjoy watching it again!

Surprising, far from Hollywood clichés and expected, predictable lines, this Scandinavian - Sweden - crime thriller is so exciting, as was COP ON THE ROOF, from the very same director, a brilliant, sophisticated film maker, who did not make only crime films though. Such a shame. You are always surprised here, nothing foreseeable, and maybe that contributes to make it a bit complex to follow for "southern" or "western" audiences. The only thing maybe borrowed from Hollywood is the cop in tandem crew, some kind of buddy movie, but without being LETHAL WEAPON either. Not an action genuine crime flick but with action scenes however. I highly recommend it.

It's rare to see a movie that is almost without a fault. This is one of them, although you might have had to have experienced Sweden in the 1980s to get the full impacct - and not to find some of the sub-plots or plot points improbable. The reality behind the movie, as eloquently elaborated on in "Call Girl" (2012) starring Pernilla August, was actually even uglier, and the author of the book - criminology professor and police expert Leif GW Persson - this movie is based on had a pivotal role himself in the real-life scandal. This paves the way for a great deal of authenticity, and the director Bo Widerberg pours all of his considerable talent into establishing that even further - yes, life really was that bleak, and the score actually *sounds* like the way it all looked and felt. However, Widerberg adds to that a great deal of suspense and action; a very great deal, even, especially for a Swedish movie of the time. The eerie footage of the villain and his car, for instance, is of Hitchcock class. Some of the finest actors available in those days also contribute memorable performances. Nobody can tell a whole story through a simple sigh as Tommy Johnsson did; the apparent disillusionment and overwork burden of Andersson is told only by Håkan Serner's fatigued-but-hopeful facial expression, and the walrus-like, condescending fatberg Dahlgren becomes equally likeable and revolting when played by Ernst Günther - not much needs to be said of the mutual dislike between him and the detective heroes. Speaking of which, Thomas von Brömssen acts out Johansson's heartbreaking backstory with enough subtlety for us to feel it and ache for it without it becoming preachy. The political dimension of the film also becomes apparent only as the plot unfolds, leading up to... well, let's just say it isn't your standard cop flick. In short, Widerberg manages to internalise the suspense into his audience, making it ever more powerful than it could have otherwise become.

An intriguing, engrossing thriller with agile camerawork and interesting characters. And it all takes place in faraway Sweden, which, for some of us, is unfamiliar and fascinating. Fans of foreign films will enjoy this and I think it would appeal as well to those who don't often see foreign films.