PRINTMovie Review: Headhunters
Norwegian film surprises audiences with mixture of comedy, gore and action
Magnolia Pictures
June 16, 2012 | 11:11 a.m. CST
Norwegian film director, Morten Tyldum combines comedy, gore and thrill in his latest film, Headhunters, which leaves audiences both baffled and amused. The movie is based on a best-selling novel by Norwegian author Jo Nesbo and centers around the movie's protagonist, Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie).
Roger, who is small in stature (1.68 meters tall, to be exact), is a businessman who has a habit of spending more than he can afford. He is married to tall, gorgeous Diana (played by Synnøve Macody Lund) who has a striking resemblance to German supermodel Heidi Klum. In order to maintain Diana’s love and affection, Roger dotes upon his wife by buying her expensive jewelry, a luxurious house and other materialistic items in which he frankly can’t afford.
Related MovieTo compensate for his ludicrous spending habits, Roger and his partner (Eivind Sander) steal valuable works of art from the homes of unsuspecting strangers. At the start of the film, Roger says that there are two possible outcomes that might occur when stealing: you‘ll either find a piece of work that is so valuable that you will no longer need to steal, or you’ll get caught.
The audience is led to believe Roger will indeed get caught when he decides to steal from intelligent Danish businessman Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Clas is a former military expert who specializes in tracking down and killing bad guys. It is rumored that Clas owns a long-lost Rubens painting, which could be worth tens of millions of dollars.
The plot of the movie quickly turns from the art heist when Roger discovers that Diana is having an affair with Clas. The movie, which began as a quirky thriller, turned into a long-winded battle of guns, murder and chasing. Although the acting is strong, it cannot redeem the over-done and drawn-out plot.
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