Summary:
A police officer assigned to dispatch receives a phone call from a kidnapped woman and does everything in his power to try to save her.
My Thoughts:
I’m a fan of the so-called ‘bottled’ storylines, where everything that is happening takes place within the confines of one location. Stories like “The Guilty” are interesting because they really showcase how a director’s craft; if you’re a bad director, turning a single location into a dynamic space can be an impossible task, and sometimes the film can eventually turn into boring tests of patience (“Buried”, “Phone Booth”) but if you’re a great director, you can turn a single location into a landscape that feels as diverse as any other film with dozens of locations (like Lumet’s “12 Angry Men” or Bunuel’s “The Exterminating Angel”). This is one of the better bottled storyline films that I’ve seen, and while the storyline itself isn’t entirely unique (Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin starred in a movie called “The Call” which was essentially the exact same premise), the way that the storyline was handled in this particular film was done with far more class and finesse than I’d ever have expected from a thriller with such a schmaltzy premise, and the overall result is undeniably gripping and also surprisingly emotional.
“Have you been abducted?”
Asger Holm (Jakob Cerdergren) is a police officer that has been temporarily placed on dispatch duty after being suspended. Shortly before his shift is about to end, he receives a telephone call from a woman named Iben (Jessica Dinnage) whom claims to have been kidnapped. Using only the resources he has at his disposal at the dispatch office, Asger must try to track Iben before its too late.
I think one of the things I like most about this film is the character and world building. Since this is a bottled storyline, Moller does a great job of tethering us to Asger- we only know whatever he knows at any given time (and sometimes we know even less than him). As a result, there are quite a few scenes where Asger simply waits on the edge of his seat, staring off into nothingness, waiting for a phone to ring so that he can answer it and glean a bit more information. In a bad director’s hands, these scenes could’ve been pretty much unbearable- they would’ve been incredibly boring, but in the hands of Moller, those scenes are absolutely wrought with tension.
The story starts off a little slow, but in those slow moments we learn a bit about our protagonist; we learn he has been suspended from active duty, that his wife has moved out of his apartment, that he’s been assigned to dispatch awaiting the result of a trial which is set to commence the next day. Asger is a troubled but sympathetic protagonist, and what’s better is that, even from the place where he’s trapped- his desk- we learn about Asger’s connections to the outside world. We learn that Asger has a friend who will soon testify on his behalf; we hear him talk to his boss and it seems they have a friendly demeanor; we also know, from hearing him take a few phone calls, that he can be relatively calm under pressure, but that he also has a nervous streak. When Iben finally calls Asger, then, probably ten minutes into the film, we’ve already started to form some notions of whom Asger is a person.
When Iben calls, the film immediately starts to ramp up in terms of pacing, and Asger himself seems to perk up, and realize that, when compared to the other calls he received that night, this one is certainly more of a priority. Iben is nervous, can only answer in ‘yeses’ or ‘noes’, and Asger shortly puts it together that she’s been kidnapped. From here, the film turns into a back and forth, cat and mouse sort of mystery. Sometimes Iben can call Asger and give him some information, and sometimes Asger gives Iben information as to what she can do to help the police find her.
I’m going to avoid giving away much more information as to plot progression, because this movie is really packs a few great gut-wrenching punches, but things quickly escalate. Asger is forced to relay on other cops to help him get his job done, while at the same time coming to terms with what it was he was placed on administrative leave for. This movie is incredibly well acted, tightly-written, exquisitely directed, and overall wonderfully realized; if it weren’t for a bit of heavy-handedness during the climax this film would’ve received a perfect score from me. As it is, I still wholeheartedly recommend it.
Verdict:
“The Guilty” is one of those thrillers that is going to fly under the radar simply because it’s not in English. Yeah, you’ve got to read to enjoy this movie, but it’s absolutely worth it. This is an expertly crafted thriller, one that I’m thrilled I was able to catch.
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