|
 t's a mystery why the Swedes don't make more
action films like "Ranarna" or "Executive
Protection", when they seem to do it just as well as everyone
else. Maybe it's because the locals don't appreciate the combination of
realism and Hollywood-esque shoot'em ups, but this reviewer certainly
thinks the Swedes make fine action cinema. Although the film in question
is probably too inspired by Hollywood fare such as Michael Mann's "Heat",
it's still a nicely executed, acted, and entertaining crime film from
beginning to end.
"Ranarna" stars Sofia Helin as Klara, an
introverted police researcher with a knack for figuring out the
intricacies of crimes. After a group of heavily armed robbers knock over
some banks with military-like efficiency, Klara comes to the conclusion
that the robbers are ex-SWAT cops. Meanwhile, home life isn't going very
well for Klara, who lives with her doctor boyfriend Frank (Mikael
Persbrandt) and is still trying to get over the loss of her daughter 2
years ago.
As the case heats up, Klara has to work with Gregor
(Stefan Sauk), an abrasive SWAT cop who used to know two of the thieves.
Their investigation leads to a group of foreign legionnaires believed
killed in combat, but is really working with the ex-SWAT cops. What had
begun as a police procedural turns personal when Klara is forced to shoot
one of the thieves at the scene of a bank robbery, and later finds her
life upended when someone she thought she knew turned out to be someone
completely different. It's a major plot twist that I don't wish to spoil,
because it does changes the film's dynamics completely.
At its core, "Ranarna" is a slick crime
film with spurts of action and a good performance by its female lead. It's
certainly nothing you haven't seen before, but not much that gets sent out
into the cinematic void nowadays is. What makes the film worthwhile is the
execution by writer/director Peter Lindmark, who keeps the film moving at
just the right pace. The movie never lags, and the investigation proceeds
at just the right clip. The first hour is about the personal emotions of
its lead heroine as she comes into contact with various people, from the
flippant and antagonistic Gregor to the violent robbers themselves.
When the film reveals its Big Twist, things get even
more personal for Klara. The life of a boy, abducted by the robbers in
order to coerce the boy's father to feed them inside information, becomes
a replacement child for Klara. By saving him, she reasons, she can save
her own daughter, who died of drowning. It's the type of illogical
reasoning only a mother still suffering from the death of her child can
possibly come to. And Sofia Helin, in a subdued but sympathetic
performance, makes us root for her even when we know she's doing exactly
the opposite of what a good cop should be doing.
Which isn't to say "Ranarna" does
everything well. It's Big Twist, in particular, is a major plot
contrivance. When a character's true colors are revealed, it's a little
hard to accept that Klara, the consummate police researcher, is completely
caught off guard. One would assume that having access to police records
would mean she could, and would, vet everything and everyone important to
her. Apparently this isn't the case, because she never sees it coming.
It's a bit much to swallow, made worst since the entire second half
depends on Klara's reaction to the Big Twist.
Still, there's a lot to like about
"Ranarna". As a mainstream actioner, it benefits from Peter
Lindmark's sure direction and a good, solid cast. Sofia Helin is a winner,
as well as Mikael Persbrandt as the empathetic boyfriend, and Stefan Sauk
as the arrogant SWAT liaison. Of course the film doesn't really explain
why a SWAT cop is working with an investigative unit, but Sauk's character
livens up the film just enough for the audience to forgive this minor
contrivance.
"Ranarna" is a solid thriller by every
criteria of the genre. To be sure, it's no more complex or deeper than
Hollywood fare like "SWAT",
and as such it could have benefited from more action. This is one of the
film's big faults -- there's not enough action and what action there is
lacks the raw intensity of the gunbattles in Michael Mann's
"Heat". But even if "Ranarna" adds nothing new to the
genre, the change of scenery certainly makes it seem just a little bit
more original, even if it isn't.
|
