Gangster

Where do I start. Lets list the good things about this movie first.

1. Mikael Persbrandt is great as the Gangster Thomas. This is the only character you will actually care about, and he's a bad guy! (allthogh never does anything bad, and is generally a pretty likable guy) 2. Kjell Bergkvist is always great. He's a bit toned down here, but he is quite funny still 3. The movie looked pretty good by Swedish standards, good use of depth of field and lights.

Now the bad. This is by far the worst script to make it into the big screen ever. The acting by everyone else was pretty bad and over the top. The direction was horrible. A totally meaningless story, totally unrealistic characters and events and 1.5 hours to long. During emotional scenes pretty much everyone in the theater laughed. People just started walking out during the course of the screening.

There's no way to actually summarize the story into something coherent, so I wont even try. Every cliché ever conceived is in there, and in all the wrong places. I'm sorry to say this is one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my entire life.

Watch it for a good laugh, but try not to pay any money for it ;)

.R

This movie features several well known actors which I usually like, so I had at least modest expectations when I rented this on DVD. I was highly disappointed. In fact I walked off for some snacks somewhere during the last half hour and somehow I ended up in the kitchen rather then going back to the TV. The actor performances where poor pretty much all across the board and none of the atmospheres in the movie felt very convincing. Virtually all scenes had that "just a movie" feeling to them, I just sat there waiting to hear the director calling "CUT!" followed by the crew having a little chat about the scene before moving on to the next.

Since the movie is about gangsters most characters are tough and mob-like, the problem here is just that this whole bad-boy attitude is played out so poorly that it just feels like a joke. The constant guitar-drilling soundtrack really tries to emphasize this atmosphere too, but when the same track is played the 18th time it just adds to the already strong feeling of the whole thing just being fake.

Maybe it was just a really really bad script, maybe it was just poorly executed. I'm no movie critic, in fact I consider it rare to see something that's REALLY good, but this was just plain bad no matter how objective and forgiving I'm trying to be. NOT recommended, not even as a rental!

This movie is not worth seeing, at least not at a cinema. The story is hard to follow and understand (it starts with 10 minutes of something happening 3 years earlier). It's hard to know if this movie is trying to be a comedy or just is so bad/weird that it sometimes seems like it. American sirens and lights on Swedish police cars is just one example. The acting of Persbrandt and Bergqvist is good as usual, but I think Jenny Lampa acting as Jasmin acts very poor. Zara Zetterqvist acts pretty well, she's not been seen as an actor in Swedish movies for a long time. If you still want to see it, wait until it's released on DVD or is shown on TV.

With huge underestimations due to massive bad critics during theater openings I started to watch this DVD...alone. Since other reviewers seems to lean on when crowd in screening rooms laughs at bad performance or even leaves I give you my 100% personal opinion.

There are flaws, there are bad acting. Likely to be found in any movie if you just look hard enough. For example I guess we have to wait for a somewhat good/realistic Swedish shootout.

Nevertheless, this slow paced story is so far away you can get from Beck police-movies or other Swedish youth criminal movies. Finally!

There is no Hollywood in Sweden but that doesn't mean there cannot be created beautiful sagas, intricate stories and complex love relationship.

Add astonishing music and delicate picture and you have "Gangster".

I admit, people that only can handle 1 time line and 1 relationship/shot should stay away or bring a guide. Because if the pace of the movie is slow the pace and depths in all relationships turn fast. Keep up!

Now for all of you that didn't catch all characters there are rumored to be a sequel (time before Gangster) written for this. Hopefully it hits production...now go buy the DVD!

Sincerely Yours

/SteelBone

Generally speaking Swedish films reflect a mentality of narrow minded social realism...

Gangster on the other hand is a dark fairy tale. A fevered dream.

I was Spellbound by Photography so lush I forgot the drab reality waiting just outside the theater.

Its a no holds barred cinematic joy ride. Guns. Cars. Intrig. Chase. Seduction. Sexy chicks. Sexy men. High concept with a dash of pagan symbolism.

Great music. Stunning photography.

Everything an entertaining movie should have, even the bold choice of its eclectic art direction and the soulful soundtrack added to the exotic flavor of this film.

Gangster is a breath of fresh air in a mausoleum of cultural cadavers.

At 127min running time it seemed much shorter because of the directors command of the material. It was a sensual dance of rhythmic images that altered the experience of time, also thanks to imaginative editing.

The down side? - Having been made in Swedish = Its at the mercy of a provincial group of critics suffering from small town syndrome ... ( Swedish critics are world renowned for their plagaristic ways lacking in any original capacity to judge for themselves ... Simply put = Gangster is over their heads )

Had it been made in English with the same sensibility Gangster would have been a smash hit. Never the less I think at the end of the day it will do extremely well. Either way I hope there will be an English remake...

There is an old saying about throwing pearls to swine...The time may be ripe for these very talented filmmakers to move on to bigger and better things...

I highly recommend this film to anyone with an Open Mind, a sense of Adventure, and a Romantic Spirit...BRAVO GANGSTER!