Van Veeteren: Borkmann’s Point
dir. Erik Leijonborg (2005) [subtitled] [originally “Borkmanns punkt”]
![Film poster: “Van Veeteren: Borkmann’s Point” dir. Erik Leijonborg (2005) [subtitled] [originally “Borkmanns punkt”]](https://www.derelictspacesheep.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Van-Veeteren_Borkmanns-Point-2005.png)
A by-the-numbers feature-length Swedish murder mystery. Much hangs on the character of retired police inspector Van Veeteren, and on Sven Wollter’s portrayal, neither of which set the screen alight. The supporting cast show promise but are only given so much to do.
Silence in the Age of Noise
by Erling Kagge; trans. Becky L. Crook (Penguin, 2017)
Short, philosophical musings by polar explorer turned philosopher Erling Kagge. Insightful in places but the thoughts come piecemeal, as if written down (each after some mulling over) between bouts of silence and then left alone, presented without any great attempt at integration.
Arne Dahl: The Blinded Man
dir. Harald Hamrell (SVT, 2011 / BBC, 2013) [subtitled] [originally “Misterioso”]
![TV poster: “Arne Dahl: The Blinded Man” dir. Harald Hamrell (SVT, 2011 / BBC, 2013) [subtitled] [originally “Misterioso”]](https://www.derelictspacesheep.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Arne-Dahl_Blinded-Man.png)
A well-constructed Swedish crime miniseries. Six police officers with markedly different personalities and skill-sets are assembled into a special squad to investigate a spate of killings. An agreeable blend of character development (each principal submerged at iceberg depth) and dark, not-too-twisty plot.
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
dir. George Lucas (2002)
A terribly paced film, the plot a shambling hodgepodge of obscure political machinations, forced-peril action scenes too cluttered to offer any real tension, and through Padmé and Anakin perhaps the least convincing romance in the history of cinema. Visually slick, but soulless.
Morden, The Fjällbacka Murders: The Hidden Child
dir. Per Hanefjord (SVT, 2013) [subtitled] [originally ‘Tyskungen’]
![Film poster: “Morden, The Fjällbacka Murders: The Hidden Child” dir. Per Hanefjord (SVT, 2013) [subtitled] [originally ‘Tyskungen’]](https://www.derelictspacesheep.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Morden_Hidden-Child.png)
A feature-length murder mystery that cuts effectively between present-day Sweden and events that took place during the Second World War. Some of the modern timings don’t add up but the acting (low-key yet convincing) and historical linkage ensure a level of intrigue.
The Raven King
by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic, 2016); audiobook read by Will Patton (Scholastic, 2016)
The story remains engrossing in this fourth and final instalment, yet doesn’t make good on the build-up. Stiefvater again introduces new characters but then casts loose much of what’s come before. As much as the reinvention feels organic, the resolution lacks majesty.
Darkest Hour
dir. Joe Wright (2017)
Wright tries a tad too hard, as if having to trick the audience into engaging with politics (despite their inherent drama). The score, in particular, proves relentless. Where Churchill so often is merely caricatured, Gary Oldman brings nuance. Lily James is excellent.
The Monuments Men
dir. George Clooney (2014)
An important story but largely unsatisfying as a film. The cast is split up in a piecemeal treasure hunt that lays little emotive groundwork for the big character moments. Clooney’s script promotes a ‘flippancy under fire’ humour that doesn’t really come off.
American Gangster
dir. Ridley Scott (2007)
More style than substance. Scott’s astute juxtapositions emphasise the protagonists’ contrasting lifestyles. For a biopic, however, little of what’s shown is accurate; and yet the head-to-head conflict isn’t really worked for drama. Though well-acted, American Gangster only carries itself like an epic.
Pursuit
dir. Brian Skiba (2022)
Pursuit plays out as if the four screenwriters divvied up the characters and wrote each part in isolation. None of the motivations make sense. Nothing ties together. Elevator pitch: “Gratuitous fridging leads to good/bad people turning up randomly and killing each other.”