The trailer for this(which, I might add, does not give everything away) had me considering if it might be worth a trip to the theater, and I was not disappointed. Within the first few seconds, this marks itself as a sharply written, smart and subtle film, and while that was something I already knew we were capable of putting up on the big screen, it never hurts to see us doing it again. After a career in journalism, Martin Vinge has gone into headhunting, meaning, he researches to find the best candidate for important positions in companies, and he pursues it quite enthusiastically. The fact that he's very skillful at it gets him the attention of the massive, powerful and influential Sieger concern. He is assigned to find the aging director's successor... without the rest of management knowing about it. The plot is genuinely interesting, rather well-told, you don't lose track of any of what's going on at any point, in spite of it being plenty complex. It also develops well throughout, and the pacing is spot-on, I was engaged and emotionally involved from start to finish. There are nice, effective twists and a slowly growing sense of paranoia. The acting is excellent. Mikkelsen by no means needs to be in his brother's shadow, because his intense, underplayed and flawless performance in the lead is strong. You believe the attachment that he can't entirely admit to himself. Moritzen, Munck, Enevold and Harris are also impeccable. The child who portrayed Jakob was completely convincing, and we truly care about him. Every character is credible, and the fleshing out of them is satisfying. The humor is appropriate, clever, funny, doesn't try too hard and does not take over from the serious tone of the story. This builds suspense and tension expertly well, and it is exciting and cool, without going beyond what we "buy" with the typical amount of suspension of disbelief. The theme of father-son relationships is definitely clear throughout; it almost borders on being excessively mentioned, as the one place where this is a tad obvious, and doesn't rely solely on the art of suggestion. This is well-scored. The production value leaves nothing to be desired. Cinematography and editing are masterful. While Hammerich directed Unge Andersen, the only other thing I've seen of his, magnificently, as well, this is superior. Thank you, Rumle. You help raise the bar for our country's efforts in the medium. I recommend this to any fan of those who made it, and/or the thriller genre. 8/10
