The Keeper of Lost Causes

An excellent crime drama that doesn't try to throw in unnecessary twists and turns and instead goes purely for its goal, focusing on a very strong emotional conclusion. Lie Kaas is solid, unemotional, I'm not used to him in such a role. It feels a bit like a pilot to a series, and why not, I'm quite curious about the other Department Q cases. (06/02/2023)

A very model, stylish, even pre-stylized detective story, which replaces the view, sarcasm and momentum of the original with a number of formal and motive clichés. Mikkel Nørgaard has his finger on the pulse of the time period, because he participated in the serial political drama Borgen. Compared to the horribly cowardly and impotent film The Hypnotist, The Keeper of Lost Causes is much more photogenic, fiercer, and sharper, though sometimes there are attempts to make the viewer feel out of balance unnecessarily beyond self-purpose. I have a more fundamental problem with the character of Carl, who in the film version is a textbook example of a Nordic loner and a guy with depression... but the book prototype is much more humorous and lively, which distinguishes him from the generic stack of frowning guys on vodka with Xanax. Lie Kaas may be able to play his star power at home, but his Carl is simply not an interesting character, and the protagonist's interaction with his film partner Assad is at about a quarter of the throttle compared to the book. I could easily imagine this detective story being a little longer, bolder and more pampered. If the creators focused as much attention on the characters that they do on tearing out teeth, the film could be more than a solid series pilot with a metrosexual visual. [65%] (10/16/2013)

Another terrific Nordic mystery that feels rather more intimate (e.g. when compared to the Millennium trilogy), but overall an excellent opening to the loose Department Q cold case series. A great main duo that, while fulfilling perhaps every possible genre schema/cliché (the formerly successful, now downgraded investigator with a tendency to alcoholism and the ad hoc assigned partner who comes across as a perfect wimp at first); on the other hand, is one of the supporting elements of the whole narrative and I'm very curious to see the evolution of the two main characters in the next installments. (03/03/2020)

A good old-fashioned crime story from the North. I don't seek out the crime genre, but once every six months it doesn't hurt to watch something that entertains, surprises and intrigues from this genre. The highlight of the film for me is the scene with the slow motion shot of the falling car, which was literally breathtaking... Decent direction, actors and plot. For fans of the crime genre I recommend it. 65%. (03/02/2014)

If I had seen the film first and didn't know much about the book, it probably wouldn't grab me as much. I could easily imagine this as a very good introduction to a television series. The plot is simple but well-structured, and the characters are interesting and definitely not boring, but as a beginning for a film series, it didn't strike me as particularly strong. Good, but not exceptional. (06/20/2015)