The Keeper of Lost Causes 2013

This was Denmark’s entry into the very popular Scandi-Noir and it follows the tick-box for that genre perfectly, in fact, it follows a lot of police-thriller tick boxes regardless.

Troubled brooding cop – yup, a partner who wants to be friends but is pushed away but proves their worth – yup, a cold-case that all have given up on – yup, a clever and complex psycho who formulates an elaborate and fiendish scheme – yup.

Therein lies the rub. Despite some good miserable-sod acting and an overall brooding menace, there is little that has not been seen here before, in some cases better and in some cases a lot worse. If you have a problem with the ‘one-inch barrier’ of subtitles then you are definitely not going to like this offering.

I have to be honest I did not like the story or the film that much but I enjoyed the acting, particularly of the lead actors, Nikolaj Lie Kaas and the charismatic Fares Fares, who being a Muslim cop was in fact just Carl Morck’s partner – to the makers credit him being an Asian and a Muslim was very much secondary to the story and relationship to characters.

The cinematography kept pace with the films dark noir feel and pace was actually good for this type of film, no hanging about or drawing out ‘moments’ but overall the story, like all of these ‘Scandi-type’ stories was overwrought, silly and more bonkers than the makers' actual villain. Without spoiling the film events what the baddy does, how he does it, and why he does it, are truly, top-range preposterous, something that clicked a switch with me as I remembered The Bridge, Harry Hole and ‘The Girl the Fancied 40-Year Old Saggy Journalists’ films, TV shows and books. I stuck with them all but the overwhelming thing that I circled around to in all of them was the actual crime and criminal, the very hook, the whole reason for the entertainment, was bat-poopingly silly. James Bond in the cinema was always a flight of fancy and tongue-in-cheek act of fun but the Scanda-Noirs are supposed to be scary, intriguing. If you keep thinking ‘silly’ then this hasn’t worked for you.

This is obviously a personal prejudice but if like a cliff-hangar, a mystery and dogged by miserable, gruff cops then you will undoubtedly enjoy The Keeper of Lost Causes.