Jeri Jacquin
Coming to theatres from writer/director Robert Budreau and Smith
Global Media is the story of a bank heist that would lead to a phrase we all
know beginning with STOCKHOLM
It is 1973 and Lars Nystrom (Ethan Hawke) along with partner
Gunnar Sorensson (Mark Strong) have decided that they are going to rob a bank
in Stockholm , Sweden
What they want is money and an escape car and make it very
clear to Chief Mattsson (Christopher Heyerdahl). Feeling they aren’t taking
them seriously, Lars looses it a little giving officials till morning to meet
their demands. In the meantime Bianca is trying to keep it together.
Then the telephone calls from reporters begin and Bianca
seems to side with Lars and Gunnar. When the Prime Minister catches wind of the
interview he tries to convince the hostages that they are in danger. That’s
when Lars gets the idea to make sure that everyone watching believes they are
dangerous and Bianca goes along with it.
Now the officials are taking them serious and Bianca,
Christopher and Klara are all for helping their kidnappers. It is the beginning
of ‘Stockholm Syndrome’
Hawke as Nystrom just wanted a simple bank robbery and when
it doesn’t turn out to be simple, he starts showing a human side to his
captives. They begin to connect and this puts Chief Mattsson in a mode of
trying to break up what is happening inside the bank. But who is crazier – the
robbers or the law?
Hawke as Nystrom seems to have all the bad guy moves in
place to rob a bank but when it all goes awry; he is the first to sort of panic
it out. Never quite sure about his partner or what the crazy Chief of Police
will do, it just adds enough frustration to bring out moments of brilliance.
Back in action Hawke gives a complex performance that isn’t going to end well.
Strong as Sorensson is like a brother to Nystrom and with
that comes brotherly agitation and a few well thrown punches. I love everything
Strong does and this is a bit of a strange character that never lets the viewer
truly know what is deal is. I’m okay with that!
Rapace as Bianca is a woman who had no idea her day would
include wondering if her husband can make dinner while she’s busy being a
hostage. Not feeling much in the way of fear, it is more like curiosity about
the two men who have the authorities guessing from one minute to the next.
Heyerdahl as Chief Mattsson is, in my opinion, crazier than
the crazy bank robbers. With every moment that goes by, he isn’t exactly sure
what is going to happen. Trying to keep
Nystrom and Sorensson calm, his frustration begins to show
and it isn’t pretty.
Other cast include Thorbjorn Harr as Christopher Lind, Bea
Santos as Klara Mardh, Mark Rendall as Elov Eriksson, John Ralston as Detective
Jackobsson, Shanti Roney as Olof Palme, Ian Matthews as Detective Vinter,
Vladimir Jon Culbrt as Davin and Christopher Wagelin as Vincent.
It is easy to see where the term ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ comes
from watching this film. It is Nystrom that shows Bianca a human side with all
the frailties and insecurities that come with him. Klara and Christopher follow
suit when they realize that the police don’t seem to care if they survive the
whole thing. Their tactics pretty much are in line to take everybody out.
It is Hawke and Rapace that keep the story going as they get
to know one another and basically what makes them want to survive. Strong is
the silent partner who has every reason in the world to be exactly that –
silent!
The story is based on the 1973 bank robbery that was written
about by Daniel Lang in an article called “The Bank Drama” for the New Yorker
in 1974.
In the end – based on an absurd but true story!
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