Action director Paul Greengrass confounds his stereotype with his latest - July 22

Introduction - Both a bloody thriller and emotional courtroom drama

Name of film - July 22

Director - Paul Greengrass

Year - 2020

Poster

Official Trailer

Review

In Norway on 22 July 2011, right-wing terrorist, self proclaimed soldier and smirking narcissist, Anders Behring Breivik murdered 77 young people on Utøya Island outside of Oslo, driving there disguised as a policeman under the pretext of carrying out a safety inspection. He had already set off a car bomb in the capital.
This film, directed by Paul Greengrass, really is a four-part story - that of the attacks themselves, of one survivor of the attack, of the political leadership of Norway, and of a lawyer chosen by the murderer, forced to represent him under humanitarian law.
Greengrass is known for action, his gritty intense in your face camerawork, in films like Captain Phillips, United 93 and The Bourne franchise.
The initial third of the film has these trademarks over it - I couldn't take my eyes off the screen for the tense, blunt and brutal way the attacks are depicted.
But July 22 eventually settles into something more careful and profound - focusing mainly on the character study of the detestable man who committed the atrocities and the young survivor's physical and emotional journey to portray the country's path to healing.
For Greengrass, this must have been a challenge - how to make Breivik repulsive without glamorising him. In police custody, the murderer shows no remorse, he relaxes, eats pizza, displays an injured finger with only a small cut. He tells officers it is probably from from a skull fragment and demands medical attention for it.
While Breivik has his finger bandaged, our survivor, Viljar Hanssen is left for dead on the island. After a dramatic last minute rescue, he undergoes emergency surgery and wakes blind in one eye, bullet fragments still lodged in his brain. His uncertain recovery shares the story.
Soon, Breivik has a lawyer, the muted Geir Lippestad. But Lippestad doesn't want the case and the viewer is constantly aware that he is wrestling with his own conscience and anger towards his client. He received hate mail for taking the case on - so the scenes between the two are duly compelling
The eventual trial is tense but it is not about guilt or innocence. Instead, Breivik demands Lippestad prove him sane. While Breivik’s network of far-right “brothers” are his delusion, he talks of hate groups across Europe in glowing and respectful terms.
Greengrass succeeds in giving July 22 gravity, setting it in unremarkable rooms with no rousing music or showboating. Nevertheless, we are rooting for the young injured victim, his parents, friends and the lawyer with all our might.
Many think think Norwegian culture is deeply sincere. Greengrass is respectful of the country and the liberalism to which it aspires and embraces its' politics carefully.
Refusing to make July 22 spectacular, the film pays tribute to process - It is the story of how Norway gave Breivik just what he was entitled to - not what he was seeking, which was martyrdom and stardom.
With Jason Bourne, Greengrass revived the action hero that fuelled much of his career. This is Greengrass' other side.
July 22 is not only a gripping courtroom drama, it is also about reporting journalism and the due record. This brave, emotional, careful film is screening on Netflix.

My favourite scene

The murderer dressed as a policeman, arrives on the island and is welcomed by the youth group facilitators. Unfortunately for them, they soon realise something is wrong.

Number of SUBs out of 10 - 10 out of 10

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Thanks for reading my review, always up for comments and a chat about films and TV.