Liza Marklund’s Annika Bengtzon: Paradise-Paradiset (2003)

Directed by: Colin Nutley | 115 minutes | action, drama, crime | Actors: Helena Bergström, Georgi Staykov, Niklas Hjulström, Brasse Brännström, Örjan Ramberg, Reine Brynolfsson, Ewa Froling, Suzanna Dilber, Maria Lundqvist, Lisa Nilsson, Katarina Ewerlöf, Lis Nilheim, Angela Kovacgré

Liza Marklund is a well-known writer from Sweden. Her bestseller ‘Paradise’ with journalist Annika Bengtzon as ‘hero’ has been successfully filmed by director Colin Nutley. Tension, a strong plot, good actors and a surprising twist at the end are the ingredients of this criminally exciting film. Annika Bengtzon is a journalist, at least she likes to be. In reality, she once wrote for a local newspaper and has since been hired as editor-in-chief at a ‘larger’ newspaper. Really going out for the heavier reporting work is not an option for her and she is disappointed with that. That is why she secretly works on an article in her spare time in the hope of being ‘discovered’ in this way.

She writes about ‘Paradise’, a foundation that offers shelter to women who have been abused by their husbands or who want to go into hiding for some other reason. Annika feels connected to this foundation because she also has some issues and has had problems with a man in her life in the past. Then one day she is called by the Bosnian Aida Bogovic who urgently asks for help. At the risk of her own life, Annika goes to visit Aida and puts her at ‘Paradise’. She finds out that Paradise is not what she thinks it is. And also Aida seems to be hiding things from her. When Annika delves further into Aida’s life, they appear to have a lot in common.

The story is very exciting but also interesting. Little by little you, as a viewer, find out what the two ladies have been through in the past and what they have in common. The puzzle pieces fall neatly one by one in a row and yet the final truth is a surprise. Exactly as a movie should be. The actors play their characters believably and the tension is fine. From the first minute you are captivated and tense, partly due to the background music and the smooth editing of the images.

However, there are also some downsides to ‘Paradise’. What stands out and actually irritates is the reason why Aida and Annika meet. Aida calls Annika in response to an article. But… Annika wasn’t allowed to publish this article at all by her boss and so Aida couldn’t have read it either. Then Annika goes to her without asking what to help Aida with. As a woman, if you receive a strange phone call from another woman who is in need and she asks you to come to her in a cabin on a boat, of course in the dark, what are you doing as a sensible person in this time? In any case, don’t go alone! Well, that’s what Annika does. After all, a way had to be found to get these ladies together. It’s a shame that these incredulities drag the film down a bit.

There’s also a sideways, unimportant love affair crammed into it that doesn’t help the story. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem too bad when there is an unbelievable, but interesting twist in this ‘side story’. All in all, ‘Paradise’ has become a successful film adaptation. It certainly makes you curious about the books of Liza Marklund and it certainly tastes like more of these kind of Swedish crime movies. A fun, exciting film with a good story to sit back and relax with and you have to take those unbelievable things into the bargain.