“Stockholm” will have its world-premiere today at the Tribeca Film Festival. Directed by Robert Burdreau, the film is based on a 1973 bank heist and hostage crisis that was documented a year later in a New Yorker article titled “The Bank Drama” by Daniel Lang. Lars Nystrom (Hawke) dons a disguise to raid a central Stockholm bank. He then takes hostages, one of them being Bianca (Noomi Rapace), a wife and mother of two, in order to spring his pal Gunnar (Mark Strong) from prison. Negotiations with detectives come to a halt when the police refuse to let Lars leave in a getaway car with the hostages. As hours turn into days, Lars alternates between threatening the hostages and making them feel comfortable and secure. The hostages develop an uneasy relationship with their captor, which is particularly complex for Bianca, who develops a strong bond with Lars as she witnesses his caring nature. The Bianca-Lars relationship gives rise to the psychological phenomenon known as “Stockholm Syndrome” — hence the title of the film. Make sure to check back for reviews tomorrow.
