Max Manus

Although essentially devoid of technically inept elements, Max Manus nevertheless remains oddly uninvolving throughout its distinctly overlong running time – which is certainly a shame given the seemingly can’t-miss nature of the movie’s true-life premise. The storyline follows title character Max Manus (Aksel Hennie) as he and several friends become pivotal forces within Norway’s resistance movement during the Second World War, with their ongoing efforts at sabotaging the Nazis eventually transforming Max into an almost mythical figure. Filmmakers Espen Sandberg and Joachim Roenning have infused Max Manus with an unabashedly sweeping sensibility that instantly affords the proceedings the feel of an old-fashioned epic, although Sandberg and Roenning’s failure to transform the central character into a wholeheartedly compelling figure effectively renders the film’s various positives moot. It becomes obvious quickly enough that because Max lacks a clear personal stake in the outcome of his endeavors, the movie suffers from a pervasive absence of urgency that ensures the majority of its high-octane sequences fall entirely flat (ie contrast Max’s mechanical modus operandi with that of Black Book‘s fiery protagonist). The underdeveloped nature of Max’s myriad of cohorts exacerbates the film’s less-than-enthralling atmosphere, while the hopelessly padded-out third act, which persists for a good 20 minutes longer than necessary, results in an anti-climactic finish that’s sure to turn off even those viewers with an emotional investment in the slow-moving story.

** out of ****