Surprising, far from Hollywood clichés and expected, predictable lines, this Scandinavian - Sweden - crime thriller is so exciting, as was COP ON THE ROOF, from the very same director, a brilliant, sophisticated film maker, who did not make only crime films though. Such a shame. You are always surprised here, nothing foreseeable, and maybe that contributes to make it a bit complex to follow for "southern" or "western" audiences. The only thing maybe borrowed from Hollywood is the cop in tandem crew, some kind of buddy movie, but without being LETHAL WEAPON either. Not an action genuine crime flick but with action scenes however. I highly recommend it.
14 Reviews
An underestimated crime drama with a difference
BeneCumb8 January 2015
I am fond of Scandinavian (particularly Swedish and Danish) crime thrillers and I have tried to watch them as much as possible. It is not often that you come across with respective films before 1990ies as the international boom and fame started after that.
Still, Bo Widerberg is a film-maker worth (re-)discovering, as his approach is different from ordinary Beck-Wallander type of series. They have more action and twists, are less static, contain scenes and lines that make you giggle, and policemen are "ordinary" persons with their odd apprehensions and weaknesses... Additionally, a good overview of the 1980ies Stockholm, with the clear domination of Volvos and Saabs. In spite of some similarities with famous thrillers from the prior decade, the film in question is an independent witty story, not a copy or remake adapted for Sweden. Performances are good as well, I particularly liked Sven Wollter as Jarnebring and Ernst Günther as Dahlgren.
Well, the ending is realistic, but creates a kind of discontent, as the story is not round up in "clear" manner. Nevertheless, based on the circumstances above, Mannen från Mallorca is a film that could be shown on TV or cinematheques more often.
Still, Bo Widerberg is a film-maker worth (re-)discovering, as his approach is different from ordinary Beck-Wallander type of series. They have more action and twists, are less static, contain scenes and lines that make you giggle, and policemen are "ordinary" persons with their odd apprehensions and weaknesses... Additionally, a good overview of the 1980ies Stockholm, with the clear domination of Volvos and Saabs. In spite of some similarities with famous thrillers from the prior decade, the film in question is an independent witty story, not a copy or remake adapted for Sweden. Performances are good as well, I particularly liked Sven Wollter as Jarnebring and Ernst Günther as Dahlgren.
Well, the ending is realistic, but creates a kind of discontent, as the story is not round up in "clear" manner. Nevertheless, based on the circumstances above, Mannen från Mallorca is a film that could be shown on TV or cinematheques more often.
Thriller held in a firm grip
stefan-14411 January 2003
Director Widerberg could do very well in widely separate genres. He did a few crime stories on cinema, but never just for the 'who dunnit'. There had to be a burning social message, something rotting in the kingdom.
Here it sure is. The Leif GW Persson novel, on which the film is based, is about misuse of power, all the way up. The novel is actually loosely based on a political scandal in Sweden, which Persson was involved in revealing.
Widerberg's movie has got several qualities, way beyond that of creating a thrill. With a very firm grip, of the kind only somebody that skilled as a director can have, he tightens the suspense, intensifies the conflict, broadens the importance of what takes place, until the film becomes an unpleasant, but in its own way accurate, revelation about modern society. And it's a good thrill, too.
A trivia of interest to none but me, I guess, is that one of the locations is my apartment at that time.
Here it sure is. The Leif GW Persson novel, on which the film is based, is about misuse of power, all the way up. The novel is actually loosely based on a political scandal in Sweden, which Persson was involved in revealing.
Widerberg's movie has got several qualities, way beyond that of creating a thrill. With a very firm grip, of the kind only somebody that skilled as a director can have, he tightens the suspense, intensifies the conflict, broadens the importance of what takes place, until the film becomes an unpleasant, but in its own way accurate, revelation about modern society. And it's a good thrill, too.
A trivia of interest to none but me, I guess, is that one of the locations is my apartment at that time.
The best political thriller you've never heard of
Sam Elsby14 October 2004
Lowly Stockholm vice-squad officers, Jarnebring and Johansson, are first on the scene of a robbery and go on to unearth apparent corruption in high places, but the threads are difficult to pull together and the case is hard to crack.
There are so many pleasures in this film that it's a shame that it is so rarely seen. Quite apart from being a good thriller director Bo Widerberg brings twists and slants to what would otherwise be the sort of film that we've seen a hundred times. Although a buddy-buddy movie, J & J's relationship is constructed back-to-front. Instead of going from 'chalk & cheese' to reconciled dream-team, they begin as good friends, with implicit trust between them as colleagues, but the events of the film put this under strain. As a corollary there is no neat ending.
There are some good moments of humour as American and Swedish culture brush up against each other, but the greatest departure from the standard is the insight into Johansson's personal life. Occupying no more than a few minutes screen time, we see the result of his marriage break-up. The scene where he attempts to recapture his relationship with his son is almost painful and his furtive eye contact with another metro traveler is nicely captured. In fact, these brief interludes convey more about the loneliness of a failed relationship than many an entire film. Overall they add a rare depth to this genre. Add to this a great car-chase and the technique of putting a rear facing road-pointing camera on the front of a car, which brilliantly conveys menace.
There is also a well-developed sense of place with all the action set in a wintry Stockholm and it's environs. While we see the city's underbelly (down-and-outs; winos; criminals; alienated youth) it is still an affectionate portrait.
Twenty years on there are some non-P.C. moments as when a suspect is recognised partly as he is seems to be the only foreign-looking person in Stockholm. The ending can also be criticised for leaving a feeling that the ball is still in the air, but this is largely because we cinema-goers are so used to complete resolution.
This is the sort of film that should be made more often. Widerberg rivaled Peter Weir as a director who could make an entertaining yet meaningful and character-driven film.
There are so many pleasures in this film that it's a shame that it is so rarely seen. Quite apart from being a good thriller director Bo Widerberg brings twists and slants to what would otherwise be the sort of film that we've seen a hundred times. Although a buddy-buddy movie, J & J's relationship is constructed back-to-front. Instead of going from 'chalk & cheese' to reconciled dream-team, they begin as good friends, with implicit trust between them as colleagues, but the events of the film put this under strain. As a corollary there is no neat ending.
There are some good moments of humour as American and Swedish culture brush up against each other, but the greatest departure from the standard is the insight into Johansson's personal life. Occupying no more than a few minutes screen time, we see the result of his marriage break-up. The scene where he attempts to recapture his relationship with his son is almost painful and his furtive eye contact with another metro traveler is nicely captured. In fact, these brief interludes convey more about the loneliness of a failed relationship than many an entire film. Overall they add a rare depth to this genre. Add to this a great car-chase and the technique of putting a rear facing road-pointing camera on the front of a car, which brilliantly conveys menace.
There is also a well-developed sense of place with all the action set in a wintry Stockholm and it's environs. While we see the city's underbelly (down-and-outs; winos; criminals; alienated youth) it is still an affectionate portrait.
Twenty years on there are some non-P.C. moments as when a suspect is recognised partly as he is seems to be the only foreign-looking person in Stockholm. The ending can also be criticised for leaving a feeling that the ball is still in the air, but this is largely because we cinema-goers are so used to complete resolution.
This is the sort of film that should be made more often. Widerberg rivaled Peter Weir as a director who could make an entertaining yet meaningful and character-driven film.
A good film at times, but far from a classic
Horst_In_Translation28 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
"Mannen från Mallorca" or "The Man from Majorca" is a Swedish/Danish co-production in the Swedish language that was released back in 1984, so this one has its 35th anniversary this year and it is among the more known works from Bo Widerberg. You could almost say it is part of a double feature by the man who is considered best of the rest from Sweden behind Bergman because not only does "The Man on the Roof" sound fairly similar title-wise, but it is also not too common that Widerberg stepped into the crime drama/thriller genre. And both are book adaptations. And both focus more on the police work than really on the assailant in detail. Here for example you see his robbery and that is basically it. The rest is almost exclusively talk about him. And despite the serious subject, both also will put a smile on your lips on some occasions more often than other Widerberg films perhaps. I heard people say even that this is considered as one of the best Swedish crime thrillers of all time and if not that, then maybe "The Man on the Roof", but honestly I disagree here. That good it is certainly not. And I agree with TmotR being the superior of the two like it says here on imdb. but we talked about the latter already a while ago, so lets focus on this one here. One problem I had with it was that despite being drawn in by it, it was never really because of the key plot. I was amazed by the early robbery sequence, but as the story progresses and the cops are getting on the man's trace, the sparkle stays in the movie and did not catch me in the audience. Moments of cops talking about how fearless the man acted during his crime cannot really make it more interesting either. Or how the criminal is protected by a high-profile Swedish politician. So this was a bit disappointing. In contrastg to that, the film relied on individual scenes like the robbery, a great car chase in the middle of the movie and 2 or 3 other fairly memorable parts. And it succeeded with the cast and how well everybody acts in here. The characters, i.e. the police officials, are really all interesting without an exception. My personal favorite was the guy who was basically the human version of a walrus. He was so hilarious, especially during that scene when he talked with the blonde woman (hooker?) about (not) having a dog. His body language and face expressions are so fun to watch and while he may seem a bit letharguc and clumsy, his minds were sharp as a knife. Aside from him, I also quite liked the ending. Widerberg was really not interested in stereotypical by-the-book feel-good endings. And still it felt very right. But maybe I should not give all the praise to Widerberg here because of course it was probably taken exactly like that from the book he adapted. i have not read the latter, but I am fairly sure it was. So obviously I also cannot go a lot into detail about differences between base material and the movie here. But the one thing i can say is that while I was not satisfied by the overall product and also considered giving a lower rating at times because of that, I liked the attention to detail and some particular moments that eventually have me give this one 3 stars out of 5. An okay movie, not a great one, but I can see why many find it appealing. I give it an unenthusiastic thumbs-up. Go watch if you like Scandanavian films and the genre.
A mindboggling crime story
gunnar-1022 July 1999
This is one of the best films I've ever seen. The actors are the Sweden's most terrific actors of the time. The plot is excellent and Bo Widerberg's direction is as crisp as ever.
The most amazing with this film is that you keep finding something new in it, something you haven't noticed before. The plot is so complicated that it will take you a couple of viewings to understand everything. But, it's well worth it.
It's a film that really sticks to your mind, it leaves nobody unmoved. So go rent it today, I'll promise that you won't be disappointed.
The most amazing with this film is that you keep finding something new in it, something you haven't noticed before. The plot is so complicated that it will take you a couple of viewings to understand everything. But, it's well worth it.
It's a film that really sticks to your mind, it leaves nobody unmoved. So go rent it today, I'll promise that you won't be disappointed.
Close to perfection
jonathan-747-4616223 August 2018
It's rare to see a movie that is almost without a fault. This is one of them, although you might have had to have experienced Sweden in the 1980s to get the full impacct - and not to find some of the sub-plots or plot points improbable. The reality behind the movie, as eloquently elaborated on in "Call Girl" (2012) starring Pernilla August, was actually even uglier, and the author of the book - criminology professor and police expert Leif GW Persson - this movie is based on had a pivotal role himself in the real-life scandal.
This paves the way for a great deal of authenticity, and the director Bo Widerberg pours all of his considerable talent into establishing that even further - yes, life really was that bleak, and the score actually *sounds* like the way it all looked and felt.
However, Widerberg adds to that a great deal of suspense and action; a very great deal, even, especially for a Swedish movie of the time. The eerie footage of the villain and his car, for instance, is of Hitchcock class.
Some of the finest actors available in those days also contribute memorable performances. Nobody can tell a whole story through a simple sigh as Tommy Johnsson did; the apparent disillusionment and overwork burden of Andersson is told only by Håkan Serner's fatigued-but-hopeful facial expression, and the walrus-like, condescending fatberg Dahlgren becomes equally likeable and revolting when played by Ernst Günther - not much needs to be said of the mutual dislike between him and the detective heroes.
Speaking of which, Thomas von Brömssen acts out Johansson's heartbreaking backstory with enough subtlety for us to feel it and ache for it without it becoming preachy.
The political dimension of the film also becomes apparent only as the plot unfolds, leading up to... well, let's just say it isn't your standard cop flick.
In short, Widerberg manages to internalise the suspense into his audience, making it ever more powerful than it could have otherwise become.
Best swedish movie ever!!
johannes-6239122 October 2021
Great dialogue, very exciting story and a superb cast - especially Von Brömssen, Vollter and Günther!!
This movie is an excellent time document full of critic towards swedish society in the early '80s.
I've seen it 20-25 times and I always enjoy watching it again!
This movie is an excellent time document full of critic towards swedish society in the early '80s.
I've seen it 20-25 times and I always enjoy watching it again!
Just average, nothing more.
deloudelouvain29 March 2023
I got tricked into watching Mannen från Mallorca (or The Man From Majorca for the English title) by reading the extremely positive reviews for this movie, going from "Close to perfection" to "A mindboggling crime story" or even "Best swedish movie ever!!". Best Swedish movie ever, that's from reviewer johannes-62391, that watched this movie 20 to 25 times, yes I know it's laughable as who on earth would watch a movie that many times? Needless to tell you that this reviewer only has two reviews, and is probably Swedish. You get what I mean... I wished IMDb would do something about these kind of reviews. That said this movie is just okay, was probably better when it came out but it didn't age very well. The acting is okay, the story on the other hand is a bit confusing, a bit boring, lacking action. In short I wouldn't waste your time with this one.
intriguing, engrossing thriller
clovis-512 September 1999
An intriguing, engrossing thriller with agile camerawork and interesting characters. And it all takes place in faraway Sweden, which, for some of us, is unfamiliar and fascinating. Fans of foreign films will enjoy this and I think it would appeal as well to those who don't often see foreign films.
Good old homur.
pasmatony3 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I was just like my father who went on vaccation and came back and did not know at al what had accured. Everythingstarts in stockholm as usuall when things like this is going down. A few comrads get to together and plan something funny to do that involves some crime. Quick earend cash and the heat is on. They make narrow escapes but dont encounter the long law of the arm. I can say that this movie show a hole lot of the beauty of stockholm, especially in summertime that is.
To round things up I would like to give a big round of aplouse to the well known swedish actors in this movie. Few of them that also are no longer with us. Real good old 80 feeling movie that is very fun to revivie.
To round things up I would like to give a big round of aplouse to the well known swedish actors in this movie. Few of them that also are no longer with us. Real good old 80 feeling movie that is very fun to revivie.
A FILM I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER!!
melinafahidou-4384026 October 2023
This film is the best portal to Swedish cinema ........... This movie has it all! I recommend it as a full depth- social and political action movie which represents reality as it is. The main characters are two police officers who maintaine their charm even at moments where you should hate them. They get to exist, survive and work inside a deeply corrupted environment, where they not only thrive but also have the opportunity to firm a strong bond with each other. Someone could see these officers and call them the modern versions of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
As for the director's choices, I can say nothing more or nothing less than that they where PERFECT! The colours were amazing, the pace of the movie was completely unique, giving the viewer the feeling that they actually participate in the film among the actors. The correlation between the events is breathtaking.
Bo Widerberg is plain genius!
This film is the backbone of every other mystery thriller that came after this.
All words are unnecessary, this is a must watch masterpiece, watch it now - thank me later !!!!!!!!!!!!
As for the director's choices, I can say nothing more or nothing less than that they where PERFECT! The colours were amazing, the pace of the movie was completely unique, giving the viewer the feeling that they actually participate in the film among the actors. The correlation between the events is breathtaking.
Bo Widerberg is plain genius!
This film is the backbone of every other mystery thriller that came after this.
All words are unnecessary, this is a must watch masterpiece, watch it now - thank me later !!!!!!!!!!!!
Widerberg's story is too slight
fredrikgunerius21 December 2023
Bo Widerberg's follow-up to his groundbreaking Mannen på taket is a less action-oriented police procedural whose derivative script and slow pacing never allow for the same levels of suspense as the aforementioned 1976 movie. Widerberg reunites with some of his favourites in front of and behind the camera and takes us on several stakeouts, chases and police meetings in a filthy-looking Stockholm, but ultimately ends up more or less where he started out, without making much of an impression. The film's takeaway is very much in the vein of late 70s / early 80s crime thrillers: power games and corruption behind closed doors, and whether it all can be exposed by the little man. It's just that this time, Widerberg's story is too slight. Sven Wollter and Tomas von Brömssen are agreeable as our two protagonists, with their buddy cop factor arguably being the film's best asset.
drops the ball a few times
alirezasho30 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
A well made robbery scene in the post office takes place and after that is chase after the robber with loose ends, the motives and characters involved doesn't make sense, the characters relation to eachother and thier motives are never explained,why would a robber associate with high level politicians,witnesses we don't know they seen anything after they're dead
some of the witness storries are filmed without actually adding anything to the overall story,a car chase takes place and the followed doesn't know he is being followed and still almost gets away. Scenes are added without giving the story any direction
I did like the conversations between the two inspectors and thier arguments,the film was inspired by American style cop movies ,it's not a bad film but messy with loose ends and very unlikely coincidences.
I did like the conversations between the two inspectors and thier arguments,the film was inspired by American style cop movies ,it's not a bad film but messy with loose ends and very unlikely coincidences.
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