My obsession with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister on Game of Thrones) led me to watch this 2011 foreign film out of Norway. I love foreign films for one reason. The level they take the actions and emotions to far surpasses films here in the states. Headhunters was a suspenseful journey in the life of a professional headhunter who limelights as an art thief. Aksel Hennie plays Roger Brown, a complex character who has an outward swagger that mask internal insecurities. He has a beautiful wife that has no idea he's a thief. When Roger's wife introduces him to Clas Greve (Coster-Waldau looking beautiful as usual), Roger finds out that Greve owns a priceless painting. He also suspects Greve and his wife and sleeping together. A myriad of life threatening events take place and Roger is placed in the path of danger over and over.
I recommend this film for one reason. There's a lot of crap out there people seem to be watching these days. I still don't understand how a movie like The Heat, with bobble-headed characters that act goofy, can make an extraordinary amount of money. These movies are making us stupid. Sure, you come home from work, after a long day, and all you want is mindless entertainment. But what if you watched a mindful movie and then had something of substance to talk about other than "oh that Melissa McCarthy is so funny"? She is playing herself it seems in most instances. She's found that hook and good for her, but why limit yourself to just watching that sort of physical, moronic humor when you can broaden your horizons and see a movie like Headhunters where you are riveted by the action and suspense? The movie is very simple on the one hand, but on the other it is a complex look inside the world of a thief and what he'll do to save his own life and what he'll do for love.
I will admit, we haven't watched a lot of movies lately. We have been watching a lot of great TV: Walking Dead, True Blood, Maron. I'd like to start Dexter soon, now that it's ending we may pull a "Lost" and just power through it all at once. When did TV start getting so good and why can't it all be like that?
Until next time: don't be dumb, watch smart movies.
