SCANDALOUS SWEDISH SERIES NOW AVAILABLE
The Swedish 10-part political drama, Blue Eyes (Blä Ögon), concerns an upcoming national election in which the dominant conservative party is beset with internal division, including the murder of one of their press reps, and the onset of a rightwing political group, The Security Party, which threatens their domination.
The Justice Minister of the current government (Sven Nordin) has to uncover a plot that has already murdered a female member of the Security Party as well as the disappearance and probable murder of his assistant. Thus, he brings back into the job of Press Secretary, Elin Hammer (Louise Peterhoff), who is unwilling from orders by her bosses to ignore the violence surrounding them, especially those of a violent fascist group of domestic terrorists, “Veritas.”
Their leader, Gustav (Erik Johansson), charismatic and unprincipled, has enlisted the help of of two of their followers, Sophia Nilsson (an incredible performance by Karin Franz Korlof) and her teenaged brother, Simon (handsome David Lindström), children of their martyred mother. Sophia, in turn, has chosen the psychotic if sexy enforcer, Mattias Cedergren (Adam Lundgren), to be the parent of her two-year-old, Love, as well as her mate. Big mistake!
The entire series, a one-off, can be a trifle difficult to follow, especially if one doesn’t know the political scene there, but the English-language subtitles work. The writing, mostly by its eight creators, is taut and the direction (Fredrik Edfeldt, Henrik Georgsson, and Emiliano Goessens) moves everything also swiftly.
Shot in and around Stockholm and the southern port city of Uddevalla, the beauty of Sweden is constantly on tap, along with the reality of its life – elegant homes, beautiful nature, and magnificent architecture for its businesses, mixed with the reasoning behind a fast-rising Nazi-emulating, anti-immigrant crowd (reminds us of some parts of the USA today), coupled with establishment corruption.
The show is fun as there’s always enjoyment in learning about other cultures as well as their scenic eye-candy – and this series fulfills that reality.
photos courtesy of MHz Releasing
Blue Eyes/Blä Ogön
MHz Releasing
released September 26, 2017
2014 | 4 DVD set | 351 minutes
in Swedish with English subtitles
available at Amazon
now streaming at MHz Choice
