Ole Sondberg Movies

A man living on both sides of the law is caught in a dangerous game in this thriller from Norwegian director Morten Tyldum. Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie) makes his living as a corporate recruiter, finding talented people who work for other companies and making them lucrative offers to join the firm currently signing his paychecks. Roger's work brings with it a handsome salary, but he suffers crushing insecurity when it comes to his beautiful wife Diana (Synnove Macody Lund), and he constantly showers her with expensive gifts in hopes of staying on her good side. Between Diana's expectations and the equally expensive tastes of Roger's mistress Lotte (Julie R. Olgaard), Roger needs cash, so he's taken on a high-paying second job -- stealing rare works of art. Roger is just good enough and smart enough to know that he'll get caught eventually, and when he learns of a man with an authentic Rubens, he hopes to make one last score that will keep him well-set for a long time. But Roger soon finds out there's a catch -- the man with the painting is also someone he's supposed to recruit for a client, and he's clearly a few steps ahead of Roger. Hodejegerne (aka Headhunters) was an official selection at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The second installment of author Stieg Larsson's best-selling "Millennium" trilogy gets translated to the big screen with this tale of a prominent magazine publisher who launches a comprehensive investigation into Swedish sex trafficking and political corruption. The publisher of "Millennium" magazine, Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) has built an empire on his ability to shake up the establishment. Approached by a young journalist with evidence that high-ranking Swedish officials are involved in sex trafficking and crimes against minors, the incensed magazine publisher launches a comprehensive investigation that threatens to implicate some of the most powerful politicians in the country. Noomi Rapace and Alexandra Eisenstein co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Author Stieg Larsson's "Millennium Trilogy" winds to a close with The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, director Daniel Alfredson's adaptation of the best-selling novel following punky protagonist Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) as she fights to prove that she's innocent of committing multiple murders. As Lisbeth lies in intensive care, the corrupt officials in high office attempt to take advantage of her incapacitated state by accusing her of murder. But fiercely independent Lisbeth isn't about to play the scapegoat, and the more her accusers work to ruin her life, the harder she and her loyal friend Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) must push back to prove them wrong. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Stockholm policeman Martin Beck (Peter Haber), created by novelists Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo, is seen in this thriller about the search for a pedophile who kills his young victims. The Sjowall-Wahloo character has previously been adapted to numerous films by directors Stuart Rosenberg (The Laughing Policeman, 1973), Bo Widerberg (The Man on the Roof, 1976), Gosta Ekman, and others. Beck is a Swedish-German-Danish co-production, the first of a planned series of 16 feature films with all-new stories inspired by the 10 novels in the 1967-76 Beck series by Wahloo (who died in 1975) and Sjowall. Shown at the 1997 Haugesund Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

In this Danish action-adventure, Scottish forests and marshes substitute for Scandinavia. Off to war, a 13th-century king leaves his son, Valdemar, at bishop Eskil's castle, where Valdemar becomes friends with Aske. Valdemar and Aske learn of Eskil's plans to overthrow the throne. They escape to warn the king, but they arrive too late. Eskil captures the king and plans to hang Valdemar unless the king steps down from his throne. Shown at the 1997 Haugesund Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

This dark Swedish comedy-drama is based on director Mats Arehn's memories of his father. The story is told from Arehn's point of view when he was a child. Palle Hagmann, a 1940's Swedish vaudeville singer is popular. He would be really popular were it not for his reputation for lying and cheating. He rationalizes to his son by explaining the different kinds of lies available. He admonishes him that white lies should be saved for the self. Hagmann tells white ones frequently and with increasing regularity; they get him into trouble. Hagmann moves his family around frequently until they finally end up in the South of France attempting to manage a hotel. Despite Hagmann's largely self-created problems, he remains a devout optimist. Arehn's exploration of his father creates a tragic scenario that ultimately culminates in love and forgiveness. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö are writers of a series of immensely popular "police procedurals," or novels in which the police, while carefully following their own real-life rules and procedures, solve a crime or close a case. Many of these novels have been translated into English, and they have done respectable business in the U.S. In this film, the chase is on when a fatal fire leads the police to suspect a drug group. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi