Hodejegerne (2011)

An accomplished headhunter risks everything to obtain a valuable painting owned by a former mercenary.

Director:

Morten Tyldum

Writers:

Ulf Ryberg (screenplay), Lars Gudmestad (screenplay)

Stars:

Aksel Hennie, Synnøve Macody Lund, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 8 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aksel Hennie	...	Roger
Synnøve Macody Lund	...	Diana
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau	...	Clas Greve
Eivind Sander	...	Ove Kjikerud
Julie R. Ølgaard	...	Lotte (as Julie Ølgaard)
Kyrre Haugen Sydness	...	Lander
Valentina Alexeeva	...	Natasja
Reidar Sørensen	...	Brede Sperre
Nils Jørgen Kaalstad	...	Stig
Joachim Rafaelsen	...	Brugd
Mats Mogeland	...	Sunded
Gunnar Skramstad Johnsen	...	Monsen 1
Lars Skramstad Johnsen	...	Monsen 2
Signe Tynning	...	TV-vertinne
Nils Gunnar Lie	...	TV-vert

Storyline

Roger Brown an Executive Headhunter and a part-time high end painting thief finds himself embroiled in a cat and mouse game when he tries to destroy Clas Greve's career prospects. However, Clas is a former member of a special tactical military force and will stop at nothing to ensure Roger is out of the picture and the job is his.

---

Plot Keywords:

male star appears nude | killing a dog | painting | norway | art thief | 

---

Taglines:

The hunt is on.

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for bloody violence including some grisly images, strong sexual content and nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Norway Sweden Denmark Germany

Language:

Norwegian Danish Russian English

Release Date:

26 August 2011 (Norway)

Also Known As:

Headhunters

Filming Locations:

Skøyen, Oslo, Norway

Box Office

Budget:

NOK 30,300,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,690,000 (Norway), 26 August 2011, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$43,013, 29 April 2012, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,196,752, 12 August 2012

Company Credits

Production Co:

Yellow Bird, Friland, Nordisk Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39:1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Claes Greve was Norwegian in the original novel. His nationality was changed to Danish in the film to accommodate the casting of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

---

Goofs

After Roger Brown has pulled Ove from the lake and they both are in the car, driving to Ove's place, Ove is still dizzy and disoriented and keeps falling on Roger's shoulder. At one point, Roger pushes him away, Ove pukes a little, and then you see a hand pat Ove on the shoulder. That hand came from back seat, and doesn't belong to either Roger or Ove.

---

Quotes

[Last lines]
Roger: My name is Roger Brown. I'm 5'6" tall, and you know what? That's more than enough.

---

Connections

Featured in Bak Hodejegerne (2012)

---

Soundtracks

Sleep Ferrari
Universal Publishing Production Music

User Reviews

Smart, intelligent, engaging and surprisingly witty Headhunters

At first I have to say I read the novel of which this movie is based upon, "Headhunters" by Jo Nesbø, two years ago. A thriller I liked quite a lot. Usually a novel is better than the film. Well, here Morten Tyldum (Acclaimed films as "Buddy" and a short in "Most people usually live in China"), succeeded in making a film just as interesting and exciting as the book.

Nesbø's writing is interesting. This is most probably why Jo Nesbø's first movie adaption of his series of novels with Harry Hole will be directed by Martin Scorsese, on Nesbø's demand - his favorite director.

Actually I still kept being surprised as the movie went along. Not only because I can't remember all details in the book, but simply because the movie has a pace and also from time to time action-clipping which makes you feel poor Roger Brown's disasters. The handcraft is beautifully done. As simple as that.

Actually this film was sold to more than 50 distributors in just as many countries before it even premiered in Norway. Probably both to the novel writers Jo Nesbø's for the latter years has become world acclaimed and compared to Stieg Larsson, buy maybe also due to director Morten Tyldums merits so far. Of course also credit to the producers, managing to sell on a promise!?

Mark Wahlberg has said he was stunned by the film, and is now to make an American remake of it, with himself as Roger. Which, of course, is not at all needed. The original is as good as it gets.

Well, back to the story. Roger Brown is a self-obtained headhunter for big companies, which has to steal art on the side to keep his woman happy. Or at least he think he has to do so. He has all the right connections, until he starts stealing from the wrong guy, while headhunting him as a new boss to a successful company. A former mercenary, or different kind of headhunter, he's turning out to be. When he understands that his greed has gotten him into trouble, he really finds out what it is, being headhunted.

Both Aksel Hennie and Nicolai Coaster-Waldau is perfectly casted for this movie. Synnøve Macody Lund does a decent job in her debut-role, as do the rest of the cast. Fun also to see that real working police-chiefs in Oslo are attending the police press conference in the movie. Didn't know that even was possible for them to be allowed to do that. This actually makes both an in-joke as well as making the plot believable and "true" in our country.

It will surprise me if this film doesn't get a remake in Hollywood in less than two years. Not that it'll be as good as this, or even necessary. But that's how the Hollywood-world is, nowadays.

No doubt, the script is good. So is in all aspects the rest of the film as well. The film is smart, intelligent, surprising witty, and will engage you all the way through, both as a good story as well as a love story or a thriller. How much more do you want?