REVIEW: ‘The Absent One’ finds ‘Department Q’ detectives on another cold case
The Danish crime trilogy known as the “Department Q” stories centers on two detectives, Carl (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and Assad (Fares Fares), as they work in the basement of a police station and try to solve cold cases in the homicide division. The first film, The Keeper of Lost Causes, follows the guys as they look into an alleged suicide that saw the victim apparently jump off a ferry boat. The second film, The Absent One, finds Carl and Assad striking out left and right with new cases after their amazing discovery the first time around.
Eventually, after a mysterious encounter following an office party, a case emerges that shows promise. It deals with the double homicide of a pair of twins from a prestigious boarding school. The man who was convicted of the crime retained a high-profile defense attorney who is usually only available to the rich and famous and served a short sentence. Carl, who seems to be the go-getter in the detective pairing, starts thinking about the victims and the unlikely chance that this man acted alone.
Assad, one of the best characters in the series, begins the story as a naysayer and eventually is won over. The #2 to Carl’s #1 simply doesn’t see the world as cynically as his partner does. That’s a good thing because opposites attract, and the two pair up perfectly. And the actors portraying them, Lie Kaas and Fares, develop a wonderful chemistry like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
A third team member this time around is Department Q’s new assistant, Rose (Johanne Louise Schmidt). She doesn’t quite understand Carl, but, truth be told, no one except Assad has figured this detective out. However, she proves invaluable in sorting the many files of Department Q, reaching out for leads and connecting the dots. Soon enough, she’s part of the team.
Eventually, Assad and Carl turn their magnifying glasses on Ditlev Pram (Pilou Asbæk) and his friend, Ulrik Dybbøl (David Dencik). They are strange millionaires who have depraved habits of shooting trophy animals, and somehow their lives connect to Kimmie (Danica Curcic), who seems to be the key to the entire case involving the double homicide.
Mikkel Nørgaard is back as the director, and he achieves the same thrilling flair as the first movie in the trilogy. The screenplay by Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg is based on the popular novel by Jussi Adler-Olsen. The narrative this time around becomes much more complex than the original story, and that’s a bit of a shame. The Department Q stories don’t need complicated and convoluted cases to be effective thrillers. The thrill is found in the chemistry between Carl and Assad.
I’m not sure much more is learned about either of the two detectives this time around. Carl has a few more scenes with his son, who comes in and out of his life. However, Carl is not good at anything but working homicide cases, so even making dinner reservations is a difficult obligation to uphold. Few details have emerged in the series about Assad; however, he does have one great line to Rose about Carl. Assad sticks around Department Q because he’s the only person that Carl has in his life. Behind these rough-and-tough detectives are lonesome men hurting from the pain they uncover on a daily basis.
The Absent One will receive its American theatrical debut at the IFC Center beginning Friday, June 17. It will run in repertory with the other films in the Department Q trilogy and other Nordic noir films.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
- The Absent One
- 2014
- Directed by Mikkel Nørgaard
- Written by Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg; based on the novel by Jussi Adler-Olsen
- Starring Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Fares Fares, Johanne Louise Schmidt, Danica Curcic, David Dencik and Pilou Asbæk
- Running time: 2 hours
- Not Rated
- Rating:
