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MAX MANUS Send This Review to a Friend
A riveting war thriller, “Max Manus” spins a story based on a real-life Norwegian hero fighting, first against the Russians when Finland was invaded, and then against the Nazi occupation of Norway. In actor Aksel Hennie, co-directors Espen Sandberg and Joachim Roennng have found just the right type to portray a sort of Everyman who rises to the occasion and accomplishes feats that he would never have expected to be called upon to carry out.
Meeting the demands of the situation, Max joins with friends in the beginnings of resistance. Captured, he manages to escape. The well-made, involving film traces the path of Manus through the war, the ups and downs, the drinking and the feelings of guilt at his own survival after seeing comrades killed.
With a screenplay by Thomas Nordseth-Tiller, the film goes about its business efficiently, building up to spectacular sabotage and painting a portrait of heroism against the odds. Although the film has special meaning for Norway, it is a suspenseful narrative that adds to the lore of World War II and works as engrossing entertainment. It is not spectacular film, but it gains in credibility by following derring-do with story-telling skill, all the while showing the human toll of heroism.
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