A Conspiracy of Faith

I haven't seen the previous two parts, but I'm planning to catch up. What I can say about Message in a Bottle is that it has a very decent tense atmosphere. Essentially, right from the start, the charismatic investigative duo caught my attention and led me hand in hand until the end. Olsen delves into really sensitive topics such as children, pedophilia, and religion. However, nothing is as it seems by far. Many people wrote that the first half was boring. I didn't really feel that, but maybe it was because I hadn't yet met the protagonist duo and was exploring the terrain somewhat. However, after the train scene, the pace drastically changed, and it really went full throttle. I was a bit disappointed that the villain was revealed almost at the beginning of the whole movie, so the clear moment of surprise was missing here, but it luckily had a point, and despite not pushing it like in Disappearance, powerlessness is not portrayed as destructively, I consider this Danish film a really successful crime act. (2016-08-31)

Message in a Bottle is still the most successful part of the book series about Department Q, I couldn't tear myself away from the book and literally flew over the lines. As a book and movie fan, I was well aware of how difficult it must be to transfer the third part of the book to the screen. And my fears were realized - I felt like I was watching a completely different story or that the filmmakers picked out potentially suspenseful passages and put them together in the movie. The result is a disaster and I give one star for the fact that it actually confirmed that Message in a Bottle is unfilmable, so it is necessary to appreciate the effort. On the other hand, it could have been dealt with much better. I firmly believe that The Purity of Vengeance will be a movie bomb, which is on the contrary perfectly suited for filming, I already see that story unfolding in two different time frames... (2016-08-14)

The first half of the film is slower paced, while the second half showers us with excellent scenes like the train, the hospital and the finale, where the atmosphere can be sliced, the tension is swirling and there is a solid villain. The highlight of the trilogy was the middle part, but the final part is a good second; the opening part was only average. 75% (2016-07-21)

At the outset, I might be repeating myself, but the change of director really helped this series and elevated it to a whole new level. The entire film was much more fast-paced than the previous installments, and it was also action-packed with several amazing moments that even Hollywood might envy, such as the train scene that had me on the edge of my seat. The film had a much funnier tone overall, which I appreciated, and it wasn’t just a dark detective story anymore. Another plus was the abundance of unexpected moments that surprised me even more. The main villain was truly excellent and even better portrayed. I must also mention the brilliant soundtrack, which enhanced the already gripping pace. I wasn’t bored for the entire 112 minutes, as there was always something happening. This kept my eyes glued to the screen until the end credits rolled. Carl Mørck and Assad struck again and impressed me even more with their performances. For me, this film was an incredible surprise, and I’m glad for it. The Scandinavians showed that when they want to, they can create, in my opinion, the best and most sophisticated detective story of recent years. I hope we’ll see more installments because this series deserves it. I give it 90%. (2016-05-21)

A Conspiracy of Faith is a film of two completely different parts. I don't know if they are equally long, because subjectively the exposition of the story seemed too slow and about as exciting and captivating as a Christian documentary. The movie theater screen should help the film, but somehow I hesitated and thought that a television screen would be more than enough for this. But then came the scene where the ransom for the kidnapped siblings is supposed to be handed over on the train, and suddenly it looks as if a cyclist staggering somewhere at the tail end of the peloton realizes that he doesn't want to stay last and gives it his all. The dynamics change incredibly and suddenly you understand what the magic and global success of Scandinavian crime is all about. You have a jam-packed spectacle that does not spare any blood or shocking twists, and it engulfs you completely. But when the end credits start, you begin to think and certain doubts arise about the errors in logic that you didn't notice before. It's somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, but in the case of such highly-rated films, I usually choose a lower rating. The acting is decent and the subject matter is also unconventional, but the mistakes are simply noticeable. Overall impression: 65%. (2016-07-05)