danish film - danish title - kvinden i beret - woman in a cage
somewhere along the way a decision was made to re-brand it
pre-viewing reading indicating a harsh film and some 'torture-porn'
fortunately that in context and minimal - the girl with... also mentioned
sold - not ever seen a bad scandinavian film so no hesitation really
weird though - this person the only one in the (small) theatre
pre credits showing an ambushed police raid on a house
our main man - carl morck - shot and given paid time out
upon return to the force he is put in charge of 'q' department
desk job with an assistant - assad - 20 years of cold cases to close
ah - the re-brand title explained - one case in particular picked up
merete - a high profile public servant who disappeared off a ferry
leaving behind a dependent and intellectually impaired brother
suicide apparently - though carl suspects she too responsible
the film then splits into three threads - past, present and sometime
flashbacks of the past used extensively to explain her background
in the present carl and assad are learning more about each other
and there are disturbing scenes of merete trapped in a chamber
2 buckets - food and toilet - replaced daily and a yearly visit
with it a man's voice advising the air pressure to be increased
no reason stated but a slow and painful death is promised
the film itself in sepia colours to match the sombre mood
carl and assad painstakingly gather information on merete
she had casual affairs but was devoted to caring for uffe
the lads visit him now in the care of a mental institution
travel on the same ferry and talk to the last people to see her
very clever pacing, dialogue and flashbacks slowly build tension
every sub-titled scene relevant and demanding close attention
carl in a constant scowl even with the in-joke of assad's coffee
he being of arab background and a purveyor of that special brew
they learn merete was picked up at a conference by a mystery man
head off to sweden in the peugeot 508 to gather more information
but stripped of their badges as they have gone in way too deep
adding further tension to the already intriguing story of merete
the prime suspect is revealed - lars - steely-eyed, lean and mean
the flashbacks showing him in a car accident as a young boy
merete and uffe in a separate car in the same accident
not entirely clear why but lars feels badly done by merete
surely not because she poked her tongue out at him pre accident
a read of the book will explain more but revenge is his to be taken
he now revealed as the captor of merete in the decompression chamber
years have now passed and she looking very disheveled but defiant
carl and assad eventually join all the dots and arrive at the scene
some very tense scenes ensue and with it some brutal violence
needless to say the damsal in literal distress is finally rescued
carl and assad are rewarded with their jobs re-instated
seen with wry smiles and a walk off into the distance
and as some critics suggested - a franchise is born
fully explaining the re-branding of the film's title
as a standalone film from a book quite superb
as a commercial venture - we shall see...
