L'homme de Majorque

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.

Right at the start there is a really good robbery of a Post Office just being done by one man. Outside two cops are at a car park and having their eyes on a brothel but then there is a call at the Post Office and becomes a thrilling chase. It turns out there is nothing much to do with our story and it is can be much more confusing. In the car later on the cops of course are talking about food and they suggest that they might not have McDonald's but the Swedish snacks don't look too good. When they mention Travolta this was not they were talking about Tarantino this is about ten years earlier and his first famous films and his dancing. Here we are in Stockholm, it is not too pretty, but wet, cold and gritty, clearly not their best times. This is a new Radiance film and one another's of Bo Widerberg, Man on the Roof (1976) which I thought was better.

Lowly Stockholm vice-squad officers, Jarnebring and Johansson, are first on the scene of a robbery and go on to unearth apparent corruption in high places, but the threads are difficult to pull together and the case is hard to crack.

There are so many pleasures in this film that it's a shame that it is so rarely seen. Quite apart from being a good thriller director Bo Widerberg brings twists and slants to what would otherwise be the sort of film that we've seen a hundred times. Although a buddy-buddy movie, J & J's relationship is constructed back-to-front. Instead of going from 'chalk & cheese' to reconciled dream-team, they begin as good friends, with implicit trust between them as colleagues, but the events of the film put this under strain. As a corollary there is no neat ending.

There are some good moments of humour as American and Swedish culture brush up against each other, but the greatest departure from the standard is the insight into Johansson's personal life. Occupying no more than a few minutes screen time, we see the result of his marriage break-up. The scene where he attempts to recapture his relationship with his son is almost painful and his furtive eye contact with another metro traveler is nicely captured. In fact, these brief interludes convey more about the loneliness of a failed relationship than many an entire film. Overall they add a rare depth to this genre. Add to this a great car-chase and the technique of putting a rear facing road-pointing camera on the front of a car, which brilliantly conveys menace.

There is also a well-developed sense of place with all the action set in a wintry Stockholm and it's environs. While we see the city's underbelly (down-and-outs; winos; criminals; alienated youth) it is still an affectionate portrait.

Twenty years on there are some non-P.C. moments as when a suspect is recognised partly as he is seems to be the only foreign-looking person in Stockholm. The ending can also be criticised for leaving a feeling that the ball is still in the air, but this is largely because we cinema-goers are so used to complete resolution.

This is the sort of film that should be made more often. Widerberg rivaled Peter Weir as a director who could make an entertaining yet meaningful and character-driven film.

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.