MOVIE STILLS
REVIEWS:
"The film's knockout power is due in no small part to the contributions
of cinematographer Philip Øgaard and leading man Stellan Skarsgård.
Skarsgård dominates the screen with his 6-foot, 4-inch frame, his
outsize rage and grief, and the gigantic snowplow truck he drives. ...Tirdad Derakhshani,
Philly.com
"The quiet dignity and soulfulness that radiates from his [Skarsgård's]
craggily handsome features is echoed by the film’s majestic snowbound
imagery (courtesy of the cinematographer Philip Ogaard) and its
gorgeously keening guitar-based score. But the beauty never feels
distracting or devoid of purpose. Rooted though his vendetta may be in
the deepest kind of personal tragedy, Nils ultimately has a job to do,
and like the film he’s in, he does it with bracing professionalism and
skill." ...Justin Chang, LA Times
"A
terrifically smart and funny Norwegian thriller starring
Stellan Skarsgård
and Bruno Ganz, 'Kraftidioten' (In Order of Disappearance) has
great appeal across borders." ...Tom Christie, Indie Wire
"If Skarsgård maintains a straight
face throughout, Moland doesn’t. He spatters the film with lines
that might just have come from the Coen brothers, and
spectacular deaths Tarantino would admire. The law of
diminishing returns applies before the end of the film, but 'In
Order of Disappearance', like all of Moland’s films, entertains
with an edge that makes it stand out from the crowd, especially
in a somewhat solemn Berlin." ...Derek Malcolm,
London Evening Standard
"A
delightfully droll tale of bloody revenge, Hans Petter Moland’s
dark and funny 'In Order Of Disappearance' (Kraftidioten) may
well fit loosely into the much-hyped Nordic Noir bracket, but
thanks to a series of nicely oddball performances and a plethora
of killings it could even fall into Coen Brothers or Tarantino
territory... While Stellan Skarsgård
plays his role admirably straight - which suits his quiet,
straight, persona perfectly - around him there is a lot of dark
fun to he had. Whether it is the gay relationship between two of
the Counts mobsters; the two local policemen who can’t stand the
sight of blood; the Count at his juicer making drinks for his
gang, or the Serbian mobsters frolicking like children in the
snow, dark humour permeates this playfully droll crime film."
...Mark Adams, Screen Daily
"With
Skarsgård
on the rampage with all the hard-hitting rage to rival 'Taken‘s'
Liam Neeson and with the Serbian drug rivals drawn into gang
warfare and retribution, 'In Order Of Disappearance'
(Kraftidioten) ends in something approaching a Mexican stand-off
with the corpses chalking up astronomically. Its plot might not
be new, but its a dark black comedy with Norwegian wit, and a
great cast that brings this nouveau riche criminal elite
coruscatingly to life." ...Mark Wilshin, Dog and Wolf
"Skarsgård's
deadpan expression underscores the impression that Nils can’t
entirely believe it himself. The contrast between his blunt
maneuverings and quiet demeanor are the movie’s chief appeal.
Aided by the expansive snowy landscape, and the irony of Nils
moving slowly through its icy roads in his creaky plow, 'In
Order of Disappearance' strikes a distinctly Scandinavian tone."
...Eric Kohn, Indie Wire
"A man
avenging his son’s death has the potential to make for
compelling cinematic territory, and when you throw someone with
the credentials of Skarsgård
in to the mix, it helps infinitely. Here’s now hoping he works
on a spin-off with Moland called the ‘Plow-Man’, or at the very
least, introduce him into the next Avengers endeavour, because
this is Skarsgård seriously being bad-ass, and we can’t get
enough of it." ...Stefan Pape, HeyUGuys
"A true blue dark comedy that isn't so
concerned with its darkness that it forgets to be laugh-out-loud
silly at times too, 'In Order of Disappearance' is a bitter,
bloody treat for the black of heart... Skarsgård has
impressed us with just how much character he can imbue into his
underplaying." ...Jessica Kiang, Indie Wire
"It is not the gangsters who are interesting
in this film, it is Skarsgård's transformation. As long
as we follow him, we are in safe hands. He knows how to hold on
our attention - with small means... There are brilliant
performances in the challenging physical and verbal comedy of
the very dark variety." ...Kjetil Lismoen, Aftenposten,
no
"Skarsgård brings true quality to the
film, and, with the help of other prolific actors, takes it to
another level of brilliance. Even rather brief appearances leave
a lasting impression – Bruno Ganz’s Papa barely says a word but
is a showstopper, and a crew of Serbian stars as his wolfpack
are already one of the best supporting ensembles of the year.
But the most spectacular character of the film is the snow. Its
overbearing white presence creates a suggestive background for
all the dark matter going on. No other color makes bloody red
pop that much." ...Anna Tatarska, Movie Mezzanine
"'In Order
of Disappearance' provides a wonderful vehicle for
Stellan Skarsgård's
stone-faced gravitas and calm intelligence... The wit of
the screenplay and the actors’ characterizations ensure that
it's highly entertaining, giving the film a distinctive
personality... Running through the script are some very funny
exchanges – among cops, Norwegian drug thugs, Serbians, regular
townsfolk – that poke wry fun at the insular nature of life in
the snowy sticks, attitudes toward foreigners, and the virtues
of the Scandinavian welfare state. ...David Rooney, The
Hollywood Reporter
"Slick, clever and powered by the conviction
that sooner or later justice will be served, Norwegian director
Hans Petter Moland’s darkly comedic picture could certainly pass
for a Hollywood studio release in all technical respects."
...Peter Debruge, Variety
"The laughter is of the graveyard variety,
riffing on absolutely delicious black humour that tackles every
subject under this snowy sun; it gets even funnier (and
bloodier) when a rival Serbian drugs gang enters the fray, led
by the great Bruno Ganz as the clan’s aged crime godfather."
...Tom Birchenough, The Arts Desk
Hans
Peter Moland
