Det som ingen ved (2008) User Reviews

Being up against Big Brother

[OJT · 7/10 · 5 April 2014]

Amor patriae nostra lex - The love for our country is our law. This quote tells what it's all about, though telling more will reveal too much before you enjoy the film.

A Danish/Swedish thriller directed by Danish films grand auteur Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, with Anders W. Berthlsen in the main role. we also meet other great actors. Ghita Nørby as his mother and the Norwegians Maria Bonnevie, Baard Owe, and Danish Lars Mikkelsen and Sonja Richter in supporting roles. They all do a terrific job, under the skilled hands of Kragh-Jacobsen. Script written by Rasmus Heisterberg and the director.

It's a political thriller with a tension that is great. It's up-building is conventional, but effective. I would say spot on, since it's still a mystery that is being solved here, a more difficult storytelling would also make it more difficult to follow.

The start of the film takes us to a tragic holiday house fire in 1988, where Thomas loses his girlfriend. We also understand that the sister was involved in getting hold of secret documents which could compromise something important. Then the film jumps to 2008, which is "today" in the film. Today Thomas works a children's entertainer, much to his daughter's disapproval. Then the story immediately picks up.

Taught, tense, exciting, well made thriller, which could have had a way better ending. Flawless photographing and nice camera work, still makes this well worth a watch.

Conventional, but ...

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 15 July 2008]

... still pretty good. And better to do something by the rules/decent I guess, then doing something completely new but awful. To go into the story would spoil the movie, especially if you have seen you're fair share of thrillers. But for a small look into the story, look into the synopsis here on this site.

A believable turn of events and good characters (actors). This is somewhat of a nice turn for European cinema, in imitating American thriller cinema. If you just watch one European thriller this year, than this is the one to go! ;o) Seriously though, a good movie that deserves to be seen (I'm even convinced that there will be an American remake!)

Taut and seamless, but rather fabulous than realistic

[BeneCumb · 7/10 · 24 February 2015]

Scandinavian countries, Sweden and Denmark in particular, are famous for their thrilling and profound crime films, many of them have obtained further fame through US or British remakes. Det som ingen ved is more than okay example of the said genre, but, knowing their living standard and level of general security and corruption, it is hardly to believe such harsh events and solutions can be implemented in those countries.

Leaving this aside, though, we can watch a decent thriller, with some predictabilities, but not annoying ones. As for performances, they are good at least (Anders W. Berthelsen as Thomas Deleuran, Ghita Nørby as Ingrid Deleuran, Lars Mikkelsen as Marc Deleuran, for example); yet I have to admit, that Berthelsen is not at the level of e.g. Mads Mikkelsen or Nicolai Lie Kaas to me, able to fill out long scenes alone. As for his character, it was not too plausible that a man engaged at children shows would become a witty spy within a short space of time. Anyway, all in all, the film in question is a creation providing taut moments within less than 1.5 hours.

A long way from Dogme

[relfyh · 24 March 2010]

Soren Kragh-Jacobsen was one of the original Dogme 95 signers, but this genre film contains plenty of stunts and frequent (though effective)underscoring. And, for that matter, rather quaint (classical?) editing within scenes. File under: conspiracy/paranoia/rogue intelligence unit/CIA/Cold War/biological weapons. (The de rigeur references to the CIA and the Cold War don't let the bad guys off the hook. They seem to act under their own moral agency and exhibit the usual range of thuggish behavior: surveillance, breaking and entering, violence, kidnapping, extortion.) The ostensible theme of the movie is liberty undermined by ubiquitous surveillance--but is it anything more than just another tool of menace used by men who would otherwise still manage to find the means to harm the innocent? And it's overplotted, too, working in a teenage romance that underlies subsequent events. Yet there's a sense of compulsion behind the behavior of Anders Berthelsen's character--a mix of curiosity and vengeance, and a growing sense of futility and a battle of unequal forces. The film works but not necessarily the way the director wanted it to.

A 99 min search for nothing.

[Jalle88-1 · 3/10 · 15 July 2008]

I had huge expectations when I entered the cinema. I've always loved thrillers, and this plot seemed attractive, so indeed I was excited. Nevertheless the movie disappointed me horribly. Throug the whole you are following 'Anders W. Berthelsen' as 'Thomas', who is searching for answers concerning his sisters mysterious death. The idea is not bad, but the fact that everything this movie has to offers is Thomas fleeing from some agents through the whole freaking movie, just ruin about everything. When the crawling title shows, you are left with a disappointing feeling and the question: "Was that really it?".

Through the movie you keep waiting for the Thomas' run to stop and the questions about the sisters death answered, but it never happens. The ending is vague and crappy without any kind of twists or points. There is no mysteries solved in this movie.

So bottom line is that "Det som ingen ved" almost a waste of time. You are offered some minor chocks and some _few_ intriguing scenes, but if you are looking for a thriller with a exciting, mysterious, and twisted plot, then stay far away from this flop.

And don't any of you dare to compare this to "Kongekabale".