As the critics said some days ago, when Kraftidioten (International titled "In order of disappearance") premiered in the main program of the Berlin Film Festival, this is both hilarious, rough and beautiful. While giving loads of fun and entertainment, you'll soon discover that the film has a complex underlying theme which makes this interesting on a much wider scale.
But still, this is not a film for the faint hearted. That said as a warning, because the body-count is bigger than in any Norwegian film I've seen before. There's no sex, but all violence in this, still testosterone filled, movie with a hero called "Dickman". You can't say it more obvious than that.
Or what about a plot with a Swedish plowman working in the remote Norwegian high mountains dealing with Norwegian and Serbian gangsters in a vigilante film, crossed with beautiful Norwegian landscape and droll humor!?! Well, it's completely up my alley.
Hans Petter Moland always delivers. He has made the great films "A somewhat gentle man", "The last lieutenant", "Zero Kelvin", "Aberdeen" and "Comrade Pedersen" amongst others. All of them recommended! It's "A somewhat gentle man" which is most like this last one.
If you loved "Fargo", "Burn after reading", "The big white" or "In Bruges" this is the film for you. It's almost a mix, though it's a bit more dark and bloody, and has a more serious underlying theme. This is balanced beautifully with giving death announcements in a way I've never seen before after the body count rises.
It's seems like a film that doesn't take itself too seriously, though it still has some hilarious Tarantino-like discussions, mainly from minor roles, which adds a lot to the film. They are discussing the great food in the Norwegian prison system, how Norwegians are so environmental that they pick up dog litter in little bags, and the Scandinavian welfare system is discussed as a need because of the snow and lack of sun. A country where even the gangsters drink tomato juice and drive hybrid electric Fisker Karma cars.
But what makes "In order of disappearance" stand out as much more than a hilarious masculine violent "Fargo" is that it actually is a deeper comment about how men act. Our anti superhero is called Dickman, because he really acts like one, though still being a nice and likable man. Not able to express feelings to his wife, which leaves him, avenging that his bloodline via his lost son is all that matters. Of course we know that our society is patriarchal. In this film it's over-exaggerated, but giving a good comment on today's society. The men are the one's both criminal and the users of violence. Dickman didn't even know his son, and though being a "nice" kidnapper, he doesn't even know how to read a bed time story. The film has almost no affection, except between men, and film maker Moland knows to punish those kinds of forbidden feelings. He also, in more way than one, express that men are stupid, doing stupid things, which almost always has a severe consequence.
This is the kind of film I wish would never end. I enjoyed it immensely right from the start, and it even grew from there. The film doesn't give all answers, but our vigilante hero at least gets to do some "good" deeds along the way. And if you hate drug dealers, then this is the film for you.
Stellan Skarsgård is perfect as the understated Swedish immigrant, just voted the inhabitant of the year in his little mountain town, which is a place we really don't get to know where is. The signs says "Welcome to Tyos..." and then the snow constantly covers the rest of the name. Even Oslo is made as a Alaskan-like ice city, where mountains are put where they usually not are. Our hero takes the matters in his own hands when he understands that the police are considering not to investigate the case of his son found dead by drug overdose in the city. He knows of course this is murder. And he is going to revenge his son's death.
The film has so many great supporting roles, which all make up this story, and I'm sure this film will do great world wide. Great scripting again from Danish Kim Fupz Aakeson and great filming by Philip Øgaard. The scenery is awesome, an adds to the film's sentimentality as well as beauty, which makes the whole environment even more exotic.
It's the fourth time Stellan Skarsgård is featured in a Moland-film, and it's not difficult to understand why. But Bruno Ganz is perfect as the Serbian gangster Papa and I also loved Pål Sverre Hagen as the neurotic vegan gangster "Greven" (The Count). But so many from the supporting cast should be praised as well.
Be sure to pick up this treat of a dark gangster comedy! As bloody as they come, but still with a great heart! You won't regret!
