The Quiet Ones

The-Quiet-Ones
The Quiet Ones

A gang from Denmark and other parts of Europe conducts one of the biggest robberies in Danish historical records in the year 2008. One of the gang members, Kasper, who is a boxer whose life chances are slim to none, is approached by the organizers of the robbery who are not from the country and who want Kasper to help with the planning of the robbery.

Heist films include the heist as part of the larger story arc and usually, there is more to the complete picture than the grand theft. As much as the excitement associated with a mega-heist is enough to get a good number of people excited, there is usually a reason why the film appeals to the viewer’s long-term interest. Many of all timers however have a human side to it. Heat tells the story of two fundamentally opposite men, whose characters are unable to let go of their ambitions, motivation, and hopes in the context of normality. Inside Man is how post 9/11 New York and its trauma undermined important infrastructures of life. In many respects, Ambulance serves as a tribute to Iraq Service members and veterans who are consistently dealt with the short end of the stick by the nation they served. The Quiet Ones, which is making its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, also appears to be of a trend of being a heist film with focal points beyond sheer avarice. Frederik Louis Hviid’s work is an adaptation of how Denmark suffered its biggest theft in 2008 during an impending financial crisis.

The start of the movie is engaging due to the impressive one-take sequence. But soon after, the story transforms where the emotion of the drama motivates every future plot point in the movie. And if The Quiet Ones does one thing well, it highlights how emotion is inextricably tied to the decisions created.

One of the more frequent shortcomings that several observers level against the movies they watch is often in relation to the plausibility of what some characters would do in such a situation. It’s absurd, to say the least. Yes, there can be certain scenarios where a badly written character may make strange choices. But for a professionally written and competent film, it’s quite simple that’s how it has to be so that the story unfolds. The protagonist in a slasher film has to go and investigate the sound that the person heard because in that sort of film, that is expected. And the most fascinating aspect of The Quiet Ones has to do with this idea and concept throughout the work. It is a motion picture where a rather large cast of characters constantly act on their feelings. What is the justification of this? All of them are people. As demonstrated quite early in the movie, the frightening scene happens towards the beginning of the movie as a voiceover of a radio show is narrating a robbery in progress and the thoughts of many US citizens over the coming great depression. In the movie, “there is no cause for concern” as one Economics World member of the banker’s representative states word for word.

Most first-time viewers would not be familiar with Hviid’s persona. However, for viewers who have more than a cursory knowledge of history, or more simply only the logline of the movie, and the events that follow the events of the ambush, it is clear that Hviid is flying toward some quite refreshing areas. That is, an area that sabotages all reason: hopelessness. It is such a strong emotion that it can even net the best of the best in a quite unfavorable light, and there are people who cannot fathom how pain and suffering must feel like in such circumstances. As the film builds towards this truly exhilarating plot twist, we are immediately transported to one year later, when we are introduced to Kasper (Gustav Giese) and his family. The family is seated around the table enjoying their dinner and while this is never explicitly expressed, one gets the feeling that everything is not so well on the family front. This is a major drawback, as it signals the first traces of a rather underdeveloped plot that is evident for writing that is all over the place, especially in terms of the three principal female characters of the film.

Some people look at the stress, the friction between a man and a woman who are supposed to be married, and choose not to delve deeply into it, and feel satisfied. And perhaps it’s not entirely out of the question. There is however enough visibility that needs to be pointed out regarding how The Quiet Ones worked more on the imaginative construct and pictorial representation rather than speech. Another aspect of the film is how one’s emotions, once repression becomes too much, can lead to rash actions or even destroy someone entirely from the inside. Once again, there is no circumstantial evidence within the film which suggests that the audience is being oblivious about what is happening behind closed doors. The way both wives in this movie develop their characters around their husbands is quite typical, with their men remaining passive or becoming Slimani’s (Reda Kateb) domestic abusers. Maria’s most defining character trait is forged along patio chairs times. This is the first dimension of her character that seems to be allocated very little in screen time. Initially, it comes across as an introduction that is meant to lead to some sort of twin development.

A true cat-and-mouse phenomenon! And yet she is virtually absent for most of the movie finally she returns in the final act in a fashion that is much more reminiscent of a sequel hook than of an emotional payoff. It works in the framework of the narrative and it is certainly compelling but really, if her character was developed more or even if she was simply there throughout the entire movie, it would be more gripping in the end. All this has nothing to suggest that the final act of this particular movie is lacking.

The third act is stunning for a number of reasons. There is a lot of scheming in this movie, and it is in no hurry to resolve itself (at times, perhaps, quite awkwardly). But when the heist finally comes about, all hell breaks loose through the stylized direction and Hviid’s thesis for the film. Kasper, for the most part, has been self-assured and focused on his own level of planning achieved to an extent where he comes across as overthinking. However, once the first sign of trouble begins to show, there is something that changes in him. And those cracks in the armor, which have only been tantalizingly mentioned upto this point, actually start appearing. He goes overboard in making decisions that are intended to make a point. He does not change his mind about leaving money on the floor (quite literally so). During the final act of this film, there is only one instance where Kasper does the right thing, and that is during the money scene. Even that is only caused because of a huge cock up on his part. But the decision Kasper makes is the one that speaks to the very essence of the man that he is, and the point Hviid is trying to make in the first place. It’s quite the opposite in fact – in an irrational yet determined state, once cannot ever really be pinned down for anything absurd, or so they say.

Kasper does indeed appear conflicted, but it is commendable how he tries not to let the failures in his past be a barrier towards positive action in the present. As I contemplate this potentially life-impacting decision he has to take, it is only natural to believe that he must look to the past for guidance as well. But still, it shows that he was taking an awful lot of risk in a situation where he should not have been in the first place. All those fears and worries he possessed regarding everything that would potentially lead him to his demise one day, only reached a point where he was trying to do what is best regardless of situation. He makes it sound as if these acts are in fact the last resort which is nonsense for him in the current scenario. Still stuck in the middle in this maze was Kasper who at that point of time, was seemingly sick and tired of pretending to be like everyone else.

In the final moments of the film, it is the chase sequence that is absolutely breathtaking. The Shaky cam is right in the faces of the thieves who are crammed in the car. The audience remains lost and bewildered as to what is actually going on other than the sound effects and occasional flashes. In The Quiet Ones as well, Hviid manages to keep the viewers engaged with well crafted set pieces. In those moments where the script is thin, the pace and character choreography during these sequences makes up for it. This is a pretty standard bank theft flick which at least aims to aim for bigger potentials. It doesn’t always reach them, but as a viewer, the apex is definitely more apparent than most heist films which don’t even try making one.

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