Hijacking

Authentique, sobre, bien interprété. Mais il faudrait des passages plus dramatiques et certaines scènes ralentissent excessivement le tout, là où d’autres seraient bienvenues pour donner plus de contexte. Ce serait bien d’en apprendre plus sur la famille du cuisinier et, surtout, le PDG était censé discuter du montant de la rançon avec les actionnaires quand ceux-ci étaient tellement proactifs qu’ils voulaient le remplacer à cause de la longueur des négociations. Voyons ce que Greengrass nous aura à nous proposer avec Tom Hanks à bord. (06/07/2013)

Paul Greengrass filmed Captain Phillips quite authentically but still the Hollywood influence is evident here. A Hijacking’s authenticity is quite different and that’s mainly thanks to the Scandinavian approach to serious topics. The movie doesn’t do much to build either the atmosphere or the plot. Everything is set within first few minutes and then it just counts the days while the big fishing boat is being kidnapped by Somalian pirates and you as an independent viewer are just watching what is happening on the boat or at the round table where the owners of the company are wondering how much they could afford to pay for releasing the captive fishermen. And I don’t know what was worse for me. Both of those situations stressed me out. In the end I was wondering a lot why I shouldn’t rate it with 5 stars and finally resolved that the possible reason was that the movie lacked emotions. Everything is so cold, including the company owners and especially the ending. But the movie nicely portrays the difference between the oligarchs and us mere mortals. Try to watch it and then tell me that there is nothing wrong with this world... (06/10/2020)

A good film about what it's like and what happens when you're attacked by Somali pirates. Certainly, the fact that it has an almost documentary-like quality can be appreciated. On the other hand, this aspect wasn't enough to compel me to enjoy watching the film or to consider it truly powerful. Yes, it is good. (21/04/2017)

Comparison with Greengrass's Captain Phillips is immediate and shows the fundamental difference between the American and European approaches to the drama genre. The American adaptation focuses on a strong individual, a top professional who fights a heroic battle against evil and can rely on military power and the exceptional position of his country in times of need - both of which were unquestioned at the time of filming. The Danish version is more modest and presents the opposite in all aspects. It is a civilian, unpretentious affair where weapons do not play a decisive role, but rather steady nerves in endless negotiations and the factor of (dragging) time. In A Hijacking, do not expect any favorite thriller or even action elements, as the focus is on creating authenticity and depicting the psychological state of the captured sailors. The performances are convincing but subservient to the idea of a slowly unfolding procedural drama. It is not a boring film, but if the viewer prefers entertainment, Captain Phillips is a more satisfying choice. Overall impression: 80%. (15/03/2021)

A good story is a construct, while a really good story is one where you do not realize the construct. The paraphrase of Tobias Lindholm's directorial screening credo is perfectly captured by A Hijacking. It depends on what you perceive as dramatic - if it is the scenes with circling boats, shooting and skirmishes, then this procedurally tuned film will logically disappoint you. If you can appreciate the meticulously constructed (and the naturally-feeling) plot, perfectly observed situations and once again perfectly cast civilian characters (Roland Møller is now amongst my top Nordic beasts), then this film is what you are looking for. It is clear that the film was shot directly in the relevant environment, that the director collaborated with people who were dealing with a similar problem at the time, and above all that Lindholm is an unusually clever filmmaker. He does not infer anything or condemn anyone, or study and pretend to be someone. I can’t remember the last time I was so tense waiting to see what comes out of the fax machine. Probably never. Together with the Borgen series, this is the ultimate demonstration of the Danes' ability to "face" geopolitical reality. (11/07/2013)