An adventure epic based on the exploits of Norwegian World War II legend, resistance fighter Max Manus.
The film follows his heroic exploits from 1940-1945. Manus (Aksel Hennie), a Norwegian soldier, becomes outraged when Norway falls to Germany and permits the presence of an occupying puppet government in 1940. He rallies alongside other indignant Norwegians and forms a resistance outfit known as the Rognes Organization - a group dedicated to collecting weapons, disseminating anti-Nazi propaganda, and exuding a fighting spirit. Manus is eventually captured by the Nazis, but make a daring escapes and flees to Scotland. There he undergoes sabotage training with the Free Norwegian Forces and, in 1943, he parachutes over Norway to rejoin the growing resistance movement. A key figure of the resistance, he becomes the arch nemesis of Gestapo leader Sigfried Fehmer (Ken Duken).
This story is told, acted and made well enough but it needs more of a kick given the subject matter.
Manus is a national hero in Norway who valiantly opposed Nazi occupation, but the real-life character’s passion never fully expresses itself on screen. While the nuts and bolts of the drama are correct and present, it really needs that extra emotive quality for it to rise above its relative cultural obscurity.
Without this, the film’s strengths remain technically impressive yet also arbitrary and sedate. The historical sets seem accurate but lifeless while instances of high production values in scenes of combat come off in disconcertingly tepid fashion.
In general, Max Manus reminds of Che: Part One but is delivered with a well-mannered Nordic cool that steers it closer to the direction of a history lesson than it does a myth capturing the essence of a legendary figure. If you’re a fan of old-fashioned war stories where good and evil are clearly delineated, this will scratch an itch that modern cinema largely ignores. If not, keep your expectations low.
By Andreas Heinemann, Flicks.co.nz
Of all the recent examples in this genre, this made the most impact on how those in the heat of the battle were affected.
These adventures are duly celebrated in an entertaining, old-school war thriller.
A tense drama of the deadly cat-and-mouse between the resistance and the Nazis. The film was seen by a quarter of Norway's population in six weeks.
Norway's tarnished reputation of co-operation with Nazi invaders gets a buff-up with this routine but impressive biopic of the country's most famous resistance fighter.
This overdue homage to Max Manus: Man of War — a handsome, red-haired resistance fighter who attached limpet mines to German supply ships in Oslo — is a powerful surprise.
Max Manus is a take on World War II rarely (if ever) seen in our cinemas – the battle over Norway. The story is beautifully simple and compelling. The film strikes a deft balance between light and dark, tenderness and violence – the personal toll on Manus contrasting with the infallibility of war.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 18th Feb 2010.
Release date: February 18th 2010.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
