Department Q: The Keeper of Lost Causes (2013)

Police inspector Carl Mørck is put in charge of a department of cold cases, joined only by his assistant, Assad. They dig into a case about a disappeared woman.

Director:

Mikkel Nørgaard

Writers:

Jussi Adler-Olsen (novel), Nikolaj Arcel

Stars:

Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Per Scheel Krüger, Troels Lyby

3 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nikolaj Lie Kaas	...	Carl Mørck
Per Scheel Krüger	...	Anker
Troels Lyby	...	Hardy Henningsen
Øyvind B. Fabricius Holm	...	Død mand
Søren Pilmark	...	Marcus Jacobsen
Divya Das	...	Nyhedsvært
Anne Bærskog Hauger	...	Viggas Rasmussen (voice) (as Anne Hauger)
Fares Fares	...	Assad
Sonja Richter	...	Merete Lynggaard
Rasmus Botoft	...	Tage Baggesen
Patricia Schumann	...	Søs Norup
Marie Mondrup	...	Helle Andersen
Mikkel Boe Følsgaard	...	Uffe Lynggaard
Kenneth Carmohn	...	Mand på færge
Michael Brostrup	...	Børge Bak

Storyline

Chief detective Carl Mørck and his assistant Assad become involved in a five-year-old case concerning the mystery of politician Merete Lynggaard's disappearance - a journey that takes them deep into the undercurrent of abuse and malice that lurks beneath the polished surface of Scandinavia.

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Plot Keywords:

missing person | copenhagen denmark | hyperbaric chamber | walking in on sex | woman on top | 

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Taglines:

From the Screenwriter of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Denmark Germany Sweden Norway

Language:

Danish Swedish Arabic

Release Date:

17 June 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Department Q: The Keeper of Lost Causes

Filming Locations:

Bredeneek, Rastorf, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

EUR5,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,656,380

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zentropa Entertainments20, Film i Väst, Zentropa Entertainments

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

D-Cinema 48kHz 5.1 Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Fares Fares, who lives in Sweden, had to learn Danish for the role of Assad.

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Goofs

The leader of the sanitarium tells the two main characters that Uffe was 8 years old when he had his brain injury in the car accident. But we are also told that Uffe was born on the 10th of may 1982 and that the accident, that gave Uffe his brain injury, happened on the 23rd of December 1988, making Uffe 6 when he got his brain injury.

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Quotes

Børge Bak: Do me a favour... if I get murdered... don't investigate my case
Børge Bak: Fuck You

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Connections

Followed by Journal 64 (2018)

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Soundtracks

5 Om Morgenen
Written by Nicholas Westwood Kidd (as Kidd) and Eloq (as Eloq)
Performed by Nicholas Westwood Kidd (as Kidd)

User Reviews

Skilfully constructed "old-time" crime story

Scandinavian detective films is a sign of international quality, especially for those who think that stories can be catchy without constant chases-shootings and without a thin line between law machinery and criminals. Kvinden i buret is a nice and solid example such films, plus talented character actors in leading roles - a Dane Nikolaj Lie Kaas and an Assyrian from Sweden Fares Fares (by the way, speaking tolerable Danish). Multidimensional plot provides additional tensions and you start to ponder who and why, the outcome is logical, although the wrongdoer's person and motives were revealed a bit too early. The film includes several clichés as well (for example, injudicious boss vs. solitary pigheaded detective, bickers between partners), but they are not annoying, enabling to unfold the characters and justify certain deeds.

All in all, a nice film, and first in the line of films (to be) made on the basis of Jussi Adler-Olsen's novels. I am looking forward to see them all.