Headhunters

This was a pretty good Norwegian thriller. Based on a book by author Jo Nesbo (whom I like), our protagonist Roger Brown is a high level headhunter. It so happens that on the side, he is a high level art thief, a habit that he maintains to support the expensive tastes of his supermodel of a wife. While this starts out as a straight up heist and discovery film, it turns into something pretty different and Roger Brown finds out what kind of man he really is. [get on soapbox] My only complaint with the film is the couple of scenes of graphic violence, including both humans and animals. Such gore and cruelty is definitely not necessary in a smart film like this. I am hooked on the story, on the suspense, and on the tense situations that Brown is in. You don't need to make me cringe to get your point across about how dire his situation is. I get it. I don't need to feel it. In fact, one probably sees films like this specifically to not feel things, so the cruelty is counterproductive even on an artistic or capitalistic level. [get off soapbox] Otherwise, I like the smart turns of plot and creative methodologies for getting into and out of tension. Well done.
3 stars (out of 5)