A cracking Norwegian thriller—adapted from a Jo Nesbø novel—follows the very anglo-named Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie), a corporate headhunter with a sideline in art thievery. He’s married to Diana (Synnøve Macody Lund), who he feels unworthy of, and who he suspects of infidelity with art collector Clas (Nicolaj Coster-Waldau, Jamie Lannister from Game of Thrones). Expect murder, betrayal and more than a little bit of bloodletting, but what impresses is the playful and ornate filagree of the plot, continually twisting in unpredictable ways. The inevitable Hollywood remake is in development—best to be wowed by the original before they ruin it.
This article appears in Aug 8-14, 2013.
