Hamilton: Dans l'intérêt de la nation

The efficient Swedish agent Carl Hamilton (Mikael Persbrandt) is working undercover in a Russian Mafia that deal two hundred Swedish weapons to Afeghanistan terrorists. Out of the blue, they are attacked by American mercenaries that kill all the dealers and buyers of weapons, but Hamilton escapes. Soon he learns that the mercenaries have the Swedish Martin Lagerbäck (Gustaf Hammarsten) in their base and Hamilton goes to the spot to retrieve him. He also learns that the American Benjamin Lee (Ray Fearon) is prisoner of the group and he rescues him. He discovers that Lee knows that the American mercenaries led by Rob Hart (Jason Flemyng) are forging attacks to leaders to blame terrorists groups and the next target will evolve the Swedish Prime Minister. He teams up with his partner Mouna Al Fathar (Saba Mubarak) to stop Hart and hos crew. Will they succeed?

"Hamilton: I nationens intresse" is a great Swedish action movie with a complex and well built plot. The subplot with Dr. Maria Solska, performed by Fanny Risberg, is forgettable and does not adda nything to the storyline. But the storyline is excellent and the film is worthwhile watching. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Agente H - Conspiração Terrorista" (Agent H - Terrorist Conspiration")

I have not read any of Jan Guillou's Hamilton novels. I have thought about it but as of yet haven't gotten round to it. But from what I've heard about this movie it is very loosely based on the books. Most of the Hamilton books were written from the middle of the 1980s to the middle of 1990s. One could compare it to the movie Casino Royale in the way that it has been modernised to the post 9/11 world. So what I mean is this movie is completely self standing, you won't have to read the books or see any of the previous Hamilton movies.

So what did I think of this movie? The short answer: it is no more than an average action flick.

The look of the movie is outstanding for a Swedish one. I don't mean that in a bad way but it visually has taken a big step towards international standards. Sweden makes good movies but the action ones hasn't been their strongest. The technical aspects of this movie are just so impressive. Both the execution of the action scenes and the overall look of the film makes me think of the Bourne movies. And yes there is some shaky cam in the action. Still it's not a problem, it works fine most of the time helping to create this brutal feel that the movie has. And talking of brutal that is something the movie really is. A lot of graphic killing scenes and the characters take down guys with little hesitation. Is it unnecessary much? No I don't think so but don't expect the lean back action blockbuster type of film. Music fits well for the tone of the film but nothing memorable.

Those were the strong parts of Hamilton - I nationens intresse. Now on to the weak ones. The by far biggest weakness in it is the complete lack of a interesting story. It is something about private military companies and false flag operations. But half ways in to it one has pretty much lost track of what is really going on but it doesn't matter because the action is the only really entertainment you will find here. When I after the movie were talking to other about what story really was one realises that it is just the usual conspiracy stuff that you neither want nor need to follow. The only part where I saw the tiny glimmer of interest was Carl Hamilton as a character, so maybe I should go and read the books. But all this falls completely on the acting, oh the acting. It's a long time since I've seen performances as wooden as these. I mean one knows how Mikael Persbrandt acts and it is no difference here. He looks cool and has really trained his body up for the part but he shows less emotion than the Terminator. But I must partly blame the director here because it is not just him. The entire cast are more stiff than statues. And there are many actors here that I know can act, having seen them in many other movies. There is absolutely no life beneath the good looking surface. Neither in the story or the characters.

To sum up my short review of Hamilton - I nationens intresse. The production is great, looks stylish and the action is among the best I have seen in a Swedish film. But the dull plot and some of the worst acting I have seen in a long time makes this fail almost entirely as a whole.

I've read all the other reviews and I think some other reviewers are speaking about a different film.

This movie was very comfortable to watch. Sure, plot has been done before. But so what, that doesn't mean it cant be done again by different characters. I think all of the characters were portrayed quit convincingly. I was very comfortable with all of the acting and script.

This movie looked and felt more real and more believable to me than many many other top rated action movies.

The direction was spot on. All of the action all went off very realistically.

There are some twists to the plot that I certainly didn't expect. I'm quite sure this is an enjoyable movie for all action film lovers if you don't expect all action movies to be done with the same style of direction.

I do hope to see more of these actors and the characters they portrayed in this movie.

Very nice movie from Sweden. I had a quick look at the critics written before this one and must say: Sweden was not famous for Action Movies but this will change if they shoot more like Hamilton. Very nice Cinematography and good casting. I don't see the point in complaining about the plot, the plot is similar to a James Bond or Bourne Story and it works just fine for me. And it did also work for the Swedish audience with about 360'000 admissions two weeks after its opening in Sweden. Looks like they have just waited for this one. If I got it right, then this is the first film out in the trilogy based on the novels by Jan Guillou. So there is a lot to look forward for me. I like it a lot to see when more Swedish productions are aiming at an international audience. We have had this with the Millennium trilogy as well.

That's not me saying or asking that, but what the majority of the people who rented it at our videostore kept saying. So there must be something to it then I guess. He has the stoic charisma of the famous British actor, but you shouldn't really compare the movies (Bond on one hand and this on the other).

Hamilton is a pretty neat and slick movie that has a few things going for it. There is a fight scene towards the end, that is really good. There are a few developments that you might not foresee as they happen and it does not take prisoners. Very uncompromising then, but very good for it too. It's an international cast, with a big conspiracy and a view on the world, that some might feel is very close to reality. Whatever you may think about plausibility though, the movie is very well executed ... no pun intended