Ulvenatten (2008)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Kristin Bye	Anneke von der Lippe
Ramzan	Dejan Cukic	½
Bjørnar Lehmann	Jørgen Langhelle	½
-	Ramadan Huseini	½
-	Ingar Helge Gimle	½
Thomas Fjell	Christian Skolmen	½
-	Stig Henrik Hoff
-	Knut M. Damm
-	Henrik Mestad

Review

This tight, suspenseful thriller is another example of how the Norwegian film industry profits from the strong tradition of crime fiction which has developed in the country. Tom Egeland adapts his own novel, and Kjell Sundvall's direction is concise, unbiased and effective as he combines traditional omniscient narration with fast-paced newscast type coverage. Technically, Ulvenatten draws inspiration from classics such as The China Syndrome, whereas when it comes to the political thematics, the film is in the tradition of Orions belte, one of the best Norwegian action films of all time.

One of the most delightful aspects of this film is the subtlety of the thematic conflict. The terrorists seem one-dimensional and unnuanced at first, but we get the feeling that there is more to them than what meets the eye. Dejan Cucic's acting is good in this respect; he's brutish but enigmatic. If there is a weakness in the film's early parts, it is that Sundvall is guilty of not quite keeping the pace up once the premise inside the television studio has been set. The narrative lags a little, and the indistinct presences of Christian Skolmen and Anneke von der Lippe create some unengaging periods. Still, the well-presented tactics gives the film a nerve which is enhanced into great suspense in the film's final act. The representation of the Norwegian police as indecisive but considerate is spot on - and actually quite refreshing for viewers who are used to Charles Bronson/Clint Eastwood type cops.