Sprängaren

I watched this Swedish movie Sprangaren with subtitles based on an IMDb recommendation on another film (Irene Huss - Nottrand). The comments here had discouraged me but I went ahead with this. This is not a nail-biting thriller and may not be as good as the "girl with ..." series. But it is definitely watchable. The lead actress has done a good job as have most of her colleagues. There is a little thrill, a little investigation, a little analysis, a little emotion (especially with the colleagues) and a good bit of curiosity. And I did not find the movie slow. It is just that most of the events were inside the newspaper office and not out on the streets like American movies. There isn't much of screaming, either. But after watching a movie like this, I can appreciate why screaming and street action may not be required for every thriller. Overall, it's a good job done.

I watched this film on TV eleven years after it was made, with absolutely no background knowledge of the book or the stars. I live on the other side of the world.

I found it very interesting - the office politics, and the portrayal of a couple of professionals with young children, trying to balance all the demands of modern life. These things were more interesting to me, than the plot about the death of the public figure and the matter of who was responsible for her death and the following attacks. The performances were very good, and I thought Helena Bergstrom's performance was excellent. I've read in other 'reviews' on IMDb that the author of the book is a similar person -( journalist with a leading newspaper,) to the role that she played - Annika. No doubt this is why the realistic portrayal of the daily challenges at the office was so interesting to me. I was not bothered that the author may have written about herself, not knowing about that at the time of watching the film. Therefore, I was free to appreciate the film for what it is - with no background baggage. And all the hype mentioned which took place at the time of release, - well - I missed it! I don't understand how people found it boring - maybe they don't enjoy dialog and observing human nature.

This movie is based on the very popular book (with the same name) by Swedish author Liza Marklund. Taking it's place in Stockholm in the winter of 2003/2004, this movie takes place in an alternative future. Stockholm got to be the host of the 2004 summer olympics, instead of Athens.

The provocative reporter and journalist Annika Bengtzon works on the newspaper KvällsPressen. Suddenly, the Victoria Arena (built especially for the summer olympics) gets bombed. The movie follows the work of Annika as a reporter.

This movie falls into the for Swedish people well-known "Colin-Nutley-Helena-Bergström"-movie. Ever since "Blackjack" (1990) Colin Nutley has been making films with Helena Bergström, and some other actors, such as Ewa Fröling and Reine Brynolfsson (both starring in "Sprängaren"). After ten years, it is rather boring to see Helena Bergström crying all the time.

The only remarkable thing with this movie, apart from the actors, is the photography. Colin Nutley creates a certain feeling when he uses real TV newsreaders and such.

Worth the money, but not "that" good - 2.5 out of 5.

Well, what can I say. This movie is a slow, typical swedish crime story on the silver screen. As such, it's nothing spectacular. But since I'm a journalist, I can appreciate the many scenes taking place at the newspaper. They are good, if only a little too tame. If people only knew how cynical journalists really are, they'd be chocked. Sometimes reality's more extreme than fiction...

A few years ago, "Sprängaren" was one of the most hyped and popular movies in Sweden. Just like the novel the movie is based on was when it was released. So far I have only seen the movie, and after the impression it made on me, I doubt I'll ever get around to reading the book. But I can't say for certain.

The story:

Annika Bengtzon* is a middle-aged female journalist working for a Swedish evening paper, "Kvällspressen", her articles covering a series of bombings in Stockholm, starting with a recently built stadium, meant to be used in the upcoming Olympics. As any good journalist (Or any journalist?), she starts digging around a little, making some interesting discoveries. Before long, Bengtzon has the undivided and most unwanted attention of the bomber. And that's about it, should I tell you more about the plot, I might start giving it away.

My opinion, short:

"Sprängaren" is a movie worth watching, as long as you don't have to pay for it. I would never rent it on tape or DVD, or go see it at the theaters, but it's worth watching on TV. But it doesn't even come close to the hype surrounding it. It is not the masterpiece it has been promoted as. Rather a quite mediocre thriller of the kind you could expect to find as paperback in a local supermarket, or at the railway station or airport.

My opinion, long:

One of the most evident weaknesses is in my opinion the predictability. Nothing really surprised me, so to say. No twists, no mysteries. To a fairly observant viewer, the identity of the bomber will become evident quite soon. But not to this supposedly clever and competent journalist? I fail to see the logic in that.

As stated, I haven't read the book yet. And it's likely that I never will - The movie didn't impress me. Especially not after the tremendous hype that surrounded it when it was made a few years ago. Without this hype, I might have felt differently. But as it is, it was a sad disappointment.

I believe that there are three reasons for the hype:

1. The author is Liza Marklund, an already well known columnist and journalist at a Swedish newspaper/tabloid. The novel itself was basically considered and promoted as a masterpiece before the final print. - Without the background Marklund has, and the subsequent connections she has within the Swedish media industry, would this novel even have been printed? Would it have received those high ratings if the reviewers hadn't been her colleagues and co-workers?

2. Colin Nutley directed it. Nutley have previously made a number of movies that I consider very good. "Änglagård" is one example, arguably the best Swedish drama ever filmed. - This is a different kind of movie, that might require another kind of director with a different background and experience?

3. The lead actress was Helena Bergström (Nutleys wife), quite an accomplished actress with a long and successful career behind her. - Bergström absolutely shines when she stars in more conventional roles, but maybe this isn't her kind of role?

Since we don't have any really accomplished novelists/writers in Sweden at this time, I suppose the hype was inevitable. The most popular novel was picked to make a movie out of, the most prized director was put in the director's chair, which of course meant Bergström in the female lead***. Leading to very high expectations.

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Footnotes:

* Annika Bengtzon is a more or less fictional version of Liza Marklund, who wrote the novel this movie is based on. The letter "z" in the names are a kind of link between them, since that letter rarely is a part of any of those names, where it replaces the letter "s".

** "Kvällspressen" is a fictional newspaper inspired by tabloids "Aftonbladet" and "Expressen", the word "kvällspress" is a slang term for "tabloid" in Sweden.

*** No matter the movie, plot or cast, Nutley always casts his wife in the female lead. A Woody Allen-ish policy that at times annoy me, especially when I feel that there could have been more suitable choices.