Deadline

Colour, 35mm
Sweden, 2001, 128 min
Section: Variety Critics´ Choice

Synopsis

A workaholic crime reporter tracks down a mad bomber in "Deadline," British-born, Swedish-based helmer Colin Nutley´s first stab at a thriller, based on one of the best-selling Swedish novels of the past decade. Annika Bengtzon (Helena Bergström, Nutley´s actress wife) is named chief crime reporter of the (fictional) Stockholm tabloid Kvallspressen, and lots of male colleagues, like old-timer Nils Langeby (Brässe Brännstrom), can´t wait for her to make a mistake. Then Annika gets hooked on a story - a sensational one in which the stadium where Sweden is to host the Olympic Games is bombed and a body is found among the rubble. "Deadline" functions well as a drama about a woman whose professional ambitions conflict with both her domestic life and the male colleagues who feel threatened by her. - Gunnar Rehlin