THE PLOT THUS FAR
A cold day in January 2006. The police makes a horrible discovery in the Swedish town of Hudiksvall: In one night, 18 people have been brutally murdered in the small town. The police suspects a madman behind the bestial act. But when judge Birgitta Roslin hears the news, she instantly knows that her grandparents August and Britta Andrén are among the victims.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“The Man from Beijing” is an interesting movie when you don’t scrutinize it. Basically, it’s a murder revenge story about a Chinese guy who wants to avenge his ancestors for being forced to work on the railroads. The leaps in logic necessary to make the plot work are astounding. Plus, I usually give the Swedes more credit than to deploy this kind of shoddy storytelling. But, I guess that’s my fault.
Michael Nyqvist continues to show that he’s a capable lead, but he still can’t find that right American vehicle. What was also weird about the film was how the lead character never questioned anything that was going on. In her native land or in China, she only encountered women in positions of power. They would talk and it would just be a matter of advancing from Point A to B. Not that it was a bad thing, just really odd.
The DVD comes with bonus featurette about the production. While I thought this was Swedish, the language track is in German 5.1 Dolby. It’s pretty expansive, but it gets few moments to show off. The same can be said for the rather flat transfer. In the end, I’d still recommend a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!
