Although this is much better than the usual slew of Swedish cinematic mysteries, a few queries must be made: why always inject the same actors in Swedish film? Why is their “acting” confined to existing, just like wooden objects – most notably Mikael Nyqvist – and not in an interesting IKEA way, even? Why is women still being portrayed as in this film? The low-down of the film is this: a journalist is sentenced to jail for slander, but gets a job from the very rich head of a corporation: find his niece. At the same time, a goth tries to make her way by digging up info on people for magazines, while combatting her demons from the past, which means she has to deal with an abusive counsellor which is obligatory if she’s not to be “shipped off to the mental institution, and we wouldn’t want that now, would we?”. Seems to me that in the world of film-making – largely controlled by older men – girls who are individuals, who refuse to conform and basically do things the way that men go about (unpunished) get what this girl gets in the film. All the while, she gets entangled with said journalist and they try to solve the case together. I’m told the books are very well-written, but watching this is like watching the husk of same old Swedish mystery film of the past years re-juvenating for yet another Swedish mystery film. With the same actors. And their same old wooden selves.

Went to this movie on a whim, went for a drink with some colleagues an we figured we might as well catch a movie. This one played at 8.

Very good movie, was thoroughly wrapped up in it at no time. Reminded me a bit of Dutch movies, in the sense that there is a good dose of sex and violence which does have a point (character building, creating tensions) but that in my opinion the story could have done without.

The majority of men in this movie turn out to be basterds and most women are in some way or other abused. No skipping around disney style moments in this movie. Creeped me out a bit. But that means it was done well, so thumbs up for this one.