- Actors: Nikolaj Lie Kaas,
Fares Fares - Directors: Mikkel Nørgaard, Hans Petter Moland
- Disc Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Language: Danish
- Subtitles: English, Spanish
- Region: Region 1
- Number of discs:3
- Rated: Unrated
- Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
- DVD Release Date: December 20, 2016
Are you a fan of
the HBO series “True Detective,” the serial killer films of David Fincher (Seven, Zodiac, The Girl with the
Dragon Tattoo), or the Swedish trilogy that the latter was based on? Stop
whatever you are currently binging and seek out the Department Q films, immediately. It shouldn’t be that difficult, as
each of the individual films have been available on Netflix for some time, and
now the entire trilogy is available in a single affordable package.
There is no shortage of detective narratives
in film and television, so you may be wondering what makes these films so
special. In a lot of ways they aren’t. The mysteries themselves are fairly
traditional, and it isn’t difficult to imagine each of the films being adapted
into fairly forgettable American films. But somehow these three Danish movies
based on Jussi Adler-Olsen’s international bestselling novels are elevated by
their direction and a collection of engaging performances. More than anything
else, however, these films work because of the filmmakers’ faith in the
characters over the action.
This is not to
say that there isn’t any action, because each of the films has their moments of
nail-biting suspense and the catharsis of climactic action-scene resolution.
But these moments don’t do nearly as much to drive the narrative as the
character development, a refreshing alternative to many other recent crime
films. This is a series that understands that compelling characters need not be
sacrificed in favor of spectacle, but instead helps to enhance its effects.
The first in the
trilogy is The Keeper of Lost Causes
(2013), which sets up the central relationship between new partners as well as
establishing the style of the series. Carl Mørk (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) is a
humorless detective, near impossible to work with despite his clear dedication
to each case. When an investigation results in one of his partners being killed
and the other paralyzed, Carl himself is psychologically wounded by the events.
In an attempt to stick him with a desk job, Carl’s commander puts him in charge
of a new department dedicated to resolving cold cases. He is joined by an
assisting officer named Assad (Fares Fares), whose optimism and good nature counters
that of Carl.
Though this pair
is expected to close cases quickly and efficiently, Carl is not content to
accept what he reads in the reports and begins an actual investigation into the
disappearance of a woman from the past. When this case is dramatically
resolved, Department Q is given more leeway in the way that they investigate
the cold cases. They are also given new resources, which include the addition
of an assistant named Rose (Johanne Louise Schmidt) for their second case in The Absent One (2014). Another
optimistic personality is a welcome addition to contrast Carl’s somber
dedication to the case, one which involves a series of mysterious crimes
spanning a decade. It all starts with an unsolved murder mystery, but quickly
turns into the darkest film in the series as it examines the blurred lines
between victim and accomplice.
Without giving
anything about the second film away, Carl is still suffering from the trauma of
its events through much of A Conspiracy
of Faith (2016), the latest in the film adaptations. While the first two
cases were pursued due to Carl’s relentless obsession with them, it is Assad
who takes an interest a child abduction case from the past, only able to
capture Carl’s interest when they discover evidence that a new case is linked
to the one from the past. While the urgency of two missing children forces Carl
back into action, the pressure of having their lives depend on him may be more
than he can handle. Continuing the trend of adding a new member of the team
with each new case, Carl, Assad, and Rose are joined by a local police officer
(Signe Anastassia Mannov), who is the first to investigate the evidence of a
new child abduction case, despite no parents coming forward to admit their
child has been taken.
Each of the
three films is given individual discs for the release, including individual
making-of featurettes, as well as a trailer for the trilogy. Although only the
third film came out this year, this is the first time any of them have been
available on DVD in the United
States. It may seem impulsive to purchase an
entire trilogy without having even seen the first film, but these films are
endlessly engaging without sacrificing the intelligence of the material. I
enjoyed these films so much that they had me scouring the internet for evidence
of additional future installments.
Entertainment Value:
9/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8.5/10
Historical
Significance: 8/10
Special Features: 3.5/10
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