Noll tolerans

Marketed as one of Sweden´s first real action movies ever, "Noll Tolerans" therefore has a lot to live up to. But in my eyes, this is more of a regular cop-thriller than a heavy action movie.

One problem is that "Noll Tolerans" showcases the biggest action scene five minutes into the movie, and every other action scene later on feels like a step down. The ending feels extremely tired. But you can´t deny that this is still very competent work.

The movie begins shortly before Christmas eve, when policeman Johan Falk (Jacob Eklund) runs into foul business on the street. After a frenetic car chase he is confronted with two jewel-thieves, and after a violent shootout one of the robbers gets killed. Thanks to witnesses the other criminal is later arrested. But he manages to threaten the witnesses to silence, and after a while the police force is after Johan Falk instead. Now he must prove he is innocent.

"Noll Tolerans" is an ambitious movie, but you can´t deny that in the States this would have been a straight to video-release. The story is not interesting enough and the pace is awfully slow. Action fans can´t be too happy with this one, but it did get a sequel called "Livvakterna" two years later.

2/5

I'm quite surprised since "Noll tolerans" is a Swedish thriller that actually works. It's far from perfect, but the basic premise (would *you* dare to testify?) is very interesting and the three leads (Jacob Eklund, Marie Richardson and Peter Andersson) are all great. The score is also very effective. The film is about fifteen minutes too long and I think the story could have needed some shortening, but it's still a good film. (6/10)

"Noll Tolerans" may be well plotted, skillfully directed, and impressively cast it still bears a major problem indicated by its title. In making sure that its audience will never be in doubt about who´s good and who´s evil in this movie, the hero-policeman is pure as snow and the villain is downright hissable. Having that established the movie ridicules legal process, denounces legal representation (the villain´s lawyer is even more detestable than the villain himself is) and argues that Sweden´s society would be a safer place to be if it would just allow the police to do their job.

That´s not only a questionable approach to the state of law, it would have been a much better movie in case its makers would have dared to paint it gray and not just black and white. In comparison "Dirty Harry" was a more ambiguous enterprise, with ambiguity being one of the last things springing in mind when thinking about Mr. Callahan.

This is the number one action-thriller in Sweden. The budget was on 30 million and they spend it well. The acting is great, and the car-chase in the beginning of the film could have been filmed in Hollywood. This film is not only for swedes, I think everybody can see it. I gave it 8/10.

From the moment the car chase at the beginning of this film starts you know you are in for a thrilling ride to the end.

I have watched a number of Swedish films of this genre on local cable here in Australia and have come to realise the Swedes make excellent thrillers.

This film's plot is hardly original ... wrongly accused cop seeks truth and justice ....but it is done with such style and elegance (yes elegance, the production design, lighting and cinematography are superb)that the plot holes, mercifully few that there are, are hardly noticed.

The actors (all unknown to me ...but I assume well known in Sweden) are excellent. The tough, thoughtful hero (Jakob Eklund)and the fearful villain (Peter Andersson) in particular add greatly to an already thoroughly satisfying film.

Congratulations to all involved ..I hope the sequel "Livvakterna" is as successful.