The Keeper Of Lost Causes, film review: Slice of Nordic noir looks like a glorified TV drama

(15) Mikkel Norgaard, 97 mins Starring: Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Fares Fares, Sonja Richter, Rasmus Botoft, Eric Ericson

Geoffrey Macnab
Thursday 28 August 2014 18:38 EDT
Comments
Utterly routine: The Keeper of Lost Causes
Utterly routine: The Keeper of Lost Causes

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Adapted from one of Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q novels, this is a perfectly serviceable slice of Nordic noir, but it's hard to work out what it is doing on a cinema screen.

In spite of the occasional formal flourishes – most notably a slow-motion car crash in the snow that is shot as if it's a stylised scene in a Lars von Trier movie – the film looks like a glorified TV drama.

Imagine an episode of Taggart transplanted to Scandinavia and you'll come close to its essence. Lead actor Nikolaj Lie Kaas, as Inspector Carl Morck, is almost as dour and miserable as Mark McManus used to be as DCI Jim Taggart.

A grim story involving a missing woman is competently told, but there is no disguising the utterly routine nature of the material.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in