Displaying items by tag: Noomi Rapace

STOCKHOLM

Canada, US, Sweden, 2024, 92 minutes, Colour.

Ethan Hawke, Noomi Rapace, Mark Strong, Christopher Heyerdahl, Bea Santos, Mark Rendall, Ian Matthews, John Ralston.

Directed by Robert Budreau.

Since the 1970s the phrase, Stockholm Syndrome, has been increasingly used to cover the situation where hostages, captives, begin to feel that they are being treated well by their captors and tend to identify with them rather than their rescuers. At the time, one of the prime examples was the abduction of heiress, Patty Hearst.

This film, filmed in Stockholm itself, tells the story (both more and less) of the episode which was the basis for the Stockholm Syndrome.

Ethan Hawke gives a strong performance as Lars, the prisoner, disguising himself in order to hold up a bank. He is definitely a wild card, erratic behaviour in the bank, and with the various personnel. And, his demand is that his friend, in prison, be released. Unexpectedly, he is played by Mark Strong. The police expect him to act as something of a mediator.

And there is the exasperated chief interrupted at a photo shoot and persuaded that the situation at the bank is very serious, some of the mediators, using a gun, creating tension.

Ultimately, there are three hostages, led by Swedish actress from the Stig Larsson Girl series, Noomi Rapace, a bank teller, married with a child, the opposite of many of her roles. There is another teller as well as a man who is found and taken hostage.

The drama shows the interactions between the two men, the treatment of the women, the softening of their attitudes, their actual collaboration in setting up deceptions for the police. The police also try microphones, drilling through the roof, the insertion of gas.

Lars finishes up back in jail, a visit from his hostage and her reflections on her experience, and the beginning of the status of the Stockholm Syndrome.

1. The title, the city, the bank, the vistas of the city? The bank heist? The origins of the Stockholm Syndrome?
2. The introduction, the use of the word absurd, serious and comic, extreme? Based on a true story?
3. The Bob Dylan songs and lies and his urging the singing?
4. The introduction to Lars, his behaviour, his disguise, the wig, the bag, weaponry, to the bank, the proclamation of the robbery, his manic behaviour, the reaction of the staff, ushering them out, his declarations, meeting the manager, Bianca, alerting the police, his taking the two women? The police, his demanding that his friend be released from jail? Waiting?
5. The reaction of the police, the absurd touch with the photo and the delay, the hurry to the bank, the associates, the associate with the gun and Lars shooting? The demands, the strategies?
6. The two women, their fears, finding the other man and his becoming a hostage? The hostage situation? Lars and his interaction with the hostages, the discussions with Bianca, her reaction, his allowing her to phone her husband, the relationship, her children?
7. The arrival of Gunnar, the background, the friendship, Lars and his disguise, the conversation, Gunnar supposed to be a mediator, his bond with Lars, the plains, the escape, the car? The threat to the hostages?
8. The role of the police, the discussions, strategies, confrontations, the plan with the car, the gun and the shooting of Bianca, the plan for her being shot, the jacket? Continuing the deceit?
9. The dangers, the bonding, the cooperation of the women after the fear, in the vault? Discussions, time passing, playing cards…? Bianca and her reactions, change of attitude, Lars, the bonding, the kiss, more?
10. The attempts to talk with the Prime Minister, his delay, the media outside, the interviews, the police watching the television interviews, Lars and the group listening to the radio?
11. Building up to the deception, the demand for food, medication? The Chief arriving with the bag? The decision to drill through the roof? The microphone? The gas? The group getting out, in the car, the shooting of the tyre? The return to the bank?
12. The chief, thinking that Bianca was alive, the gas, the opening of the vault, the rescue? The video that Bianca was alive? Her husband and children watching?
13. The confrontation between Gunnar and Lars, shooting? Fight?
14. The end, Lars in jail, the visit from Bianca? The voice-over, the teaser at the opening of the film, her comment about her husband, the relationship with Lars?
15. The development of the Stockholm Syndrome, captives identifying with the characters rather than the rescuers?

ASSASSIN CLUB

US/Italy, 2023, 111 minutes, Colour.

Henry Golding, Noomi Roopace, Sam Neill, Daniela Melchior, Jimmy-Jean Louis.

Directed by Camille Delamarre.

This is an action show, rather complicated, which serves as a pastime.

There is an interesting prologue, a scene between a father and daughter, then his assassination and her escape. Towards the end of the film, the audience will understand the significance of what happened, the assassin, the motivation, political repercussions in the Czech Republic.

However, the main focus of this film is on Morgan, played by Henry Golding who made such an impression in Crazy Rich Asians. Formerly in active service, he has been recruited to be an assassin, killer of evil people whom the law cannot touch. An orphan, he was to befriended by Caldwell who trained him and then is his controller. Caldwell is played by Sam Neill at his most British urbane style.

We see Morgan on the job, failing, attacked, almost killed. He has visits with Caldwell, is informed about a plan whereby a rich client has targeted seven assassins. We are soon informed that each of the seven assassins has been commissioned, with promise of $1 million per assassination, to eliminate the others. Morgan has encounters with various assassins, killing them, fighting them, making the agreement with a more sympathetic assassin who lives with his young daughter in Barcelona.

In the meantime, this seems to be a special secret government squad, led by Falk, Noomi Rapace, who has all kinds of agents at her control, all kinds of technology, and a link with police official played by Jimmy-Jean Louis.

One of the credibility drawbacks of the film is the comparative ease with which Morgan can move from assassination scene, from one country to another, and come back to his girlfriend in Rome. But when he has to disappear, he also has a secret apartment in Rome, which, with a eye identification, also holds a huge arsenal as well as an extraordinary amount of surveillance screens.

He is in contact with the leader of the official squad and they play cat and mouse interactions.

Eventually, the villain starts to be unmasked, the confrontation, very urbane then deadly, with Caldwell, the abduction of Morgan’s girlfriend, tied up in a bath with the tap on, and explosives with a timer

Since Morgan is the hero, and wants to avenge Caldwell’s death, as well as to rescue his girlfriend and defuse the explosives, there are some deadly fight sequences with the villain – but a final shot in the street, the bullet seen in close-up slow motion as the villain is killed.

Critical and blogger response to the film has been quite negative – but, as was said, it is an action-thriller, reminiscent of many other films, a time-passer.