SCANDINAVIAN PSYCH SLEUTH
Erik Skjoldbjærg: Insomnia, Norway, 1997 with Stellan Skarsgård, Sverre Anker Ousdal, Maria Bonnevie.
Viewed on DVD with English subtitles on Sep 19, 2009. Running time: 96 MIN.
Norwegian crime story which might seem petty at first but steps up as pic accelerates. A disgraced Swedish detective named Jonas Engström (Stellan Skarsgård) travels north to solve murder case in the land of the midnight sun. Psychological aspects immerse and as the detective stab slowly unravels the mystery of a young girl, Jonas is having a hard time coping with being the stranger in a strange mans land. The godforsaken hole he now resides in seems to lack any characteristics of human warmth.
Exceptional play by a fairly young looking Stellan Skarsgård. Cinematography is also very atmospheric, all nicely exhibited on the R1 disc from Criterion. Don’t watch the remake.
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