Dir: Fredrik Bond
2013
****
Fredrik Bond's feature debut is high octane trip through a multitude of genres that is a happy surprise rather than the mess it could have been. I have read reviews from critics who disagree and suggest Bond's film is a mess but I would argue that he shows a mature level of control. It reminded me of Roman Polanski's 1988 thriller Frantic, mixed with Tom Tykwer's 1998 cult film Run, Lola Run. The mood of the filmed changed every ten minutes or so which was puzzling at first but was quite welcome towards the end with all the joins smoothed out by humour and the odd, genuinely touching scene here and there. I thought Shia LaBeouf was memorizing in his performance, particularly in the scenes where he speaks to his dead mother. Again, Bond balances humour and touching drama in these scenes perfectly, making for exciting and rewarding viewing. The supporting cast is as eclectic as the genres are, Mads Mikkelsen and Til Schweiger making believable bad guys and Rupert Grint and James Buckley being an unexpectedly great comedy double-act. I wasn't 100% sold on Evan Rachel Wood's character (or accent) but this is my only criticism. It's a unique, under the radar, romantic adventure that I'm glad I stumbled across, quirky as hell and rather impressive.
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