Mammon

One big pompous belly flop of an attempt at nordic noir.

Nordic Noir genre is alive and kicking as Norwegians prove with this excellent addition to a whole bunch of quality entertainment based on Scandinavian crime fiction. I enjoyed season 1 of ''Mammon'' but I thought that it was a rather poor production, kind of a tv series''b-movie''. Nevertheless it managed to keep the viewer glued to his seat due to its intricate plot and notable actor performances, mainly by Jon Øigarden and Nils Ole Oftebro as two journalists of VG newspaper, one of the most popular ones in Norway. Season 2 though was close to perfection. Great actors joined the cast like Trond Espen Seim, Ingar Helge Gimle, Anders Danielsen Lie and others, with the first two being marvelous in their roles as frenemies in the country's governing party, often adding a comic touch to the tightly-woven, elaborate plot. The story begins with the murder of one of VG's prime journalists and unfolds in a nice, steady pace, leaving no questions unanswered in the end. The plot consists of shady politicians, corrupt lawyers, femme fatales and has every ingredient of a superb television production. Nordic Noir fans are bound to love ''Mammon'' and the finale will leave them begging for more.

As Norway is considered as one of the least corrupted countries in the world, crime rate is also low, so you see many scenes depicted in series like Mammon with certain limitations, they do not seem realistic in full... So some mystery is in place, but you have to concentrate on other elements still. The story goes with ups and downs, there are some catchy twists and turns, but when rounded up, you realise some loopholes or start to think: how come?

The performances are okay, with several famous Norwegian actors included, but, compared to other series, the main character performed by Jon Øigarden tended to be a bit arid... All in all, my apparent "mistake" was that I wachted it recently, not when it was first screened, as Norway has created several more interesting/versatile series after that.

Norwegian political, conspiracy, action thriller. Lost of twists, nothing becoming relatively clear until the end. Some familiar Nordic faces makes this a good drama.

This review is strictly for Season 2.

First of all, it's MUCH better than season 1. As for Season 2 . . .

I had to go back and watch it twice. The first time I viewed it, the plot was too complex for me to fully penetrate. Primarily because there were so many people doing villainous things, it was hard to keep track of the characters. Usually, you can differentiate between the "good guys" and the "bad guys." And that helps to make a distinction between characters. But during Season 2, the characters all mix together in your head because seemingly none of them can be trusted.

IMHO,Season 2 is truly phenomenal. And the proof of that is, the plot entirely held up under a second viewing. I DID fast forward through a couple of action scenes because I already knew what was about to happen. But I took my time with the dialogue scenes and they all held up well.

Lately, I've been disappointed with the Camilla Lackberg crime series. Viewing Mammon for the second time reveals why. Mammon Season 2 is textured and although there are many "relationship" scenes, they do not devolve into soap opera style dialogues.

The plot of the second season IS quite intricate but pretty much every scene is credible. My only criticism would be the writer included a couple of scenes relying upon the "sneak up from behind the female" shtick. Which is mystifying because the writer was Margrete Soug Kåset, a female. Any woman knows females can sense when someone is staring at them from behind, let alone trying to sneak up on them. Scenes where the bad guy sneaks up on the female from behind are just NOT credible. So one has to wonder what Margrete Soug Kåset was thinking when she wrote such nonsense, demeaning the perceptive capabilities of women.

Having watched it twice, I can attest that the production values of Mammon 2 are exceptional and finely detailed. All of the scenes are expertly lit and well choreographed. Furthermore, there are no "clunker" actors. Every character is believable.

I've written several reviews and this is the first 10 I've given. Some will say the plot is too complex. But anyone who views it for a second time will realize the story would not have held together if the filmmakers had simplified the plot. Furthermore, this is a mystery that is satisfying to watch more than once.

Mammon - Season 2 is every bit as good as Bron/Broen and much better than Engrenages.