Leofwine_draca
A HIJACKING is a thoroughly compelling Danish drama but one that leaves a bad taste in the mouth afterwards. It's very much like the Hollywood version of the story, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, and could almost be called the anti-CAPTAIN PHILLIPS in some respects; gone is the escapism, the suspense, and the gloss from that movie, to leave in its wake a dark and downbeat slice of realism that had me feeling like I'd been chewing broken glass.I'll make no bones about it, A HIJACKING is a very good film. The carefully mannered acting of the principal cast members draws the viewer into the tale and makes for sympathetic characters. Pilou Asbaek (GAME OF THRONES) and Soren Malling (THE KILLING) are particularly good as the guys on opposite sides. The direction is exemplary and particularly when watched in high definition, this is a film that looks fantastic. However, the fact that it's ultra-realism also works against it.There are few high points here and no sense of elation or relief. Instead it's an entirely pessimistic production that plumbs the depths of the human spirit. The whole production left me feeling depressed, particularly the twist ending, even though I was engrossed throughout. Occasionally a depressing film will become a favourite of mine due to its sheer brilliance (GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES, REQUIEM FOR A DREAM) but in this instance it's not something I'd want to sit through again.
sol-
'Kapringen' - or 'A Hijacking' as it is better known, this Danish thriller focuses on a ship hijacked by Somali pirates and the emotional toll on the crew members. Released within months of the very similar 'Captain Phillips', it is hard not to draw comparisons, but most comparisons are favourable. 'A Hijacking' could even be thought of as the flipside of 'Captain Phillips' as less than half the action occurs on board, with the most of it set in offices as an emotionally distanced CEO and company board members attempt to negotiate with the pirates by phone. Søren Malling is great as the CEO in question; an early scene shows us just how skilled he is at negotiating, exiting a room when those who he is bargaining with do not budge. Malling's flaw is in seeing the hijacking as another bargaining case, oblivious to how miserable his crew are as sporadic cutaways remind us. Malling also has a great quiet moment alone when he finally realises that he is pushing the negotiating too far. At first, it seems easy to criticise 'A Hijacking' for the wedding ring drama near the end and for making the pirates cardboard cutouts compared to those in 'Captain Phillips'; we never see the pirates as human beings here and their dialogue is not even subtitled, forcing us to view them at a distance. This, however, seems deliberate. The focus of this film, after all, is the unintentional callousness of drawn out negotiations and the effect of the drawn out process on the crew members. Lead actors Malling and Pilou Asbæk (as the ship's cook) have very different, almost contrasting final shots for a reason.
Niklas Pivic
While this film started out well, it kind of descended into a ball of meh. Even though boredom is one thing, this bordered on a world of trite; it could have been handled well, like Tarkovsky often pulled off.The film displays a level of excitement and tension, almost always on the level of the hijackers and their captives, although it kind of simmers off after a while. The last third of the film is dead in the water - pun intended - and the ending is just a big meh.The positive of this film is the general atmosphere created at the start, when the boat was hijacked - but that's it.
RepublicofE
people compare this to Captain Phillips. They are similar in some ways of course, but their main similarity besides the subject matter is that they both have very good acting."Hijacking" starts off slow, without the gripping pace of "Phillips" but if you give it a chance it can grow on you. It's slow paced and quite, but not layered with the artsy pretentiousness common to indy films.You wouldn't think the cook would make a good character focus. He doesn't have stellar looks or great charisma or a harrowing backstory or any of the other characteristics common to leads in Hollywood blockbusters, even so-called realistic ones like "Phillips". Yes he is very real, if not exactly "relatable" and the psychological tole of the whole incident on him is made clear, so that by the end of the film you are quietly relieved and happy for him to see him get back home even if it isn't the great rush of catharsis you would find in "Captain Phillips".The negotiation scenes seem tedious at fist but they follow the sort of style of tension without action you would find in older movies from the Cold War era. It's no "Fail-Safe", but it holds your attention enough if you can get past the first 20 minutes of slowness."Phillips" never really shows the company side of the situation. In this film it is a focus, and the film explores the delicate psychological interplay more effectively, although "Phillips" did a decent job of it for a Hollywood blockbuster.There is also a theory about the character "Omar" which I won't spoil for you here but it's the kind of subtle mind-f##k you would not likely find in a blockbuster like "Captain Phillips".Overall this is the sort of film that leaves a sort of quite impact on your psyche. You won't notice it standing out in your mind until a couple years after seeing it.
AD
