Maybe it's something in the water, but once again those crazy Danes have cried 'Havoc' and let slip into moviedom another eccentrically funny, yet bloody intense modern gangster film noir entitled BRUTAL INCASSO. They must really like seeing nice guys in bad situations over there in Scandinavia...

Two old friends, Michael and Jim, prepare to meet their end in a blaze of gunfire at the mob bosses warehouse. How did they get themselves into this mess? Well, it all goes back to the bar (where most downward spirals begin). Michael and Jim are muscle for the local mobster LC, and they have a payment to get from perennial slacker Eilert. As Michael bitches about life, the goof arrives and tries to run. Our boys catch him and 'convince' Eilert that making good is better then the alternative. Later, Jim makes nice with his girlfriend, while Michael gets the cold shoulder from his, again.... No wonder he hates his life. Next day, the boys have another pickup, but things go terribly wrong. The mark is taking a bath, and when Michael forces the door open, a lamp falls into the tub. Now there's one crispy-fried hippie, so Michael and Jim have to make good on the money owed since they screwed up the collection. Plus, they have to figure out how to dispose of the dead body. It's turning out to be a really bad day....

After a series of misadventures trying to get rid of the corpse (which involves a floating suitcase and a pedestrian bridge), Michael and Jim need to concoct a plan to get the money LC is holding them responsible for. Jim gets a call from his boss, who tells him if Jim lets Michael take all the blame, he (Jim) can get off scott free. This offer disturbs Jim, since he and Michael have been friends and partners from childhood. To make things perfectly clear, LC sends a goon who works over Jim. So for him it's now 'a rock and hard place' - get the cash or give Michael up. Trying to stay true to his friend, Jim and Michael attempt to get the money, but misfortune is all they find after an encounter with Jim's insane grandfather and a bungled bank robbery. They are left stranded miles from town with a dead car, a mouthy pantyhose sales clerk locked in the trunk, far too little cash to pay off LC, and no cell phone. At the end of their rope desperate men do desperate things - tune in to see if Jim and Michael can get themselves out of this fine mess.

BRUTAL INCASSO is indeed an action film, but part of a new genre that's made the gangster motif...casual. Instead of extensive verbal exposition, the film simply lets the audience ride along with Jim and Michael, learning what's needed to know from their natural conversation. Even when trying to dispose of a dead boy their conversation seems like "well, it's just one of those things..." And it's not just Jim and Michael; LC's 'torture' of a recalcitrant deadbeat is so off-handed to be more absurd than violent. It's a testament to the writing that despite their unsavory lifestyle, Jim and Michael are so endearing you'd be pals with them if you could. The actors do an incredible job bringing the script to life; there's a natural cadence to their dialogue and exceptional interplay, especially between Jim and Michael. In fact, all the roles are cast well - each supporting part from mob boss to girlfriend to crazy brother hits the right note. The action scenes in BRUTAL INCASSO are well staged and darkly humorous, except the showdown between LC and the boys isn't as strong as the insane gun battle that precedes their final face off. Production-wise, the picture tends to be uneven. While outdoor shots are fine, inside scenes are either too dark in the night set-ups, or suffer from over-exposure in day shots (the windows glare really bad) Fortunately, most of the film is shot on location, so these problems are minimized. Audio is clear and the subtitles readable (always a plus). The music is a good supplement to the visuals and keeps things moving along.

I saw a work copy of BRUTAL INCASSO, so I can tell you what will be included on its DVD release, but I have not seen the extras because the subtitles had not yet been added (and I'm not up on my Danish, sorry) There will be a making of featurette, blooper reel (some which are included during the end credits), a deleted scene (always neat) and stills. You'll get 4 (count 'em, 4) documentaries covering pre-production, the shoot itself, post-production and special effects. And that ain't all.... No less then three commentaries will be available; the first with producer and director, a second with the lead actors, and a third with the score composer. BRUTAL INCASSO is a fan boy's dream with this many extras loaded onto the disc - something for everyone, and it's all good.

Today's American action pictures tend to be overblown, overloud and overproduced 2- hour music videos. BRUTAL INCASSO may be on a much smaller scale, but with its' dark humor, dramatic interplay, engaging characters and fine action scenes, it's a 'quiet' film that still packs a wallop.