Absorbing but unusual thriller

Rating: 7/10 (8 January 2016)

I haven't read the book and only just watched the movie. My first thought was that I did enjoy it - but that it was a very unusual movie experience. You really have to get past the actors speaking English in Russian accents. It is a little absurd - however I think it would have been more absurd for them to have spoken in English/American accents. Perhaps it would have been best being made as a Russian movie with English subtitles. But it wasn't so we have to accept it for what is is. As a thriller? It is good. The story line is good, and extremely disturbing. I though Tom Hardy was great, Noomi Rapace wasn't, Paddy Considine was effectively creepy and that we just didn't get enough of Gary Oldman. I think that it lost focus at some point on being a dark thriller and tried to add too much historical background (although I can see why they did this). On this front I think that it lost something and let down some of the performances. I have to say I was very impressed with Joel Kinnaman's performance, who gave serious credentials to his role and was a match for Hardy. Definitely slightly absurd - but focused enough to remain an enjoyable thriller.