''The Last Contract'' () is a 1998 Swedish thriller film directed by

Kjell Sundvall Kjell Gösta Sundvall (born 31 March 1953) is a Sweden, Swedish director/producer. Sundvall has directed a series of films about the police officer Martin Beck (played by Peter Haber). Selected filmography *2015 in film, 2015 - ''Prästen i pa ...

. It is a work of fiction about the circumstances surrounding the actual

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

of the Swedish Social Democratic Prime Minister

Olof Palme Sven Olof Joachim Palme (; ; 30 January 1927 – 28 February 1986) was a Swedish politician and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 1969 to 1976 and 1982 to 1986. Palme led the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1969 until as ...

on 28 February 1986. A Swedish police officer (played by

Mikael Persbrandt Mikael Åke Persbrandt (; born 25 September 1963) is a Swedish actor. In Swedish films, he is perhaps best known for playing Gunvald Larsson in the ''Beck'' series of movies. He is internationally known for his starring role in the Academy Awar ...

) discovers the plan to assassinate Palme and tries to prevent it. The film also stars

Pernilla August Pernilla August (; born 13 February 1958), also known as Pernilla Östergren Pernilla Wallgren, and Pernilla Wallgren-Östergren, is a Swedish actress, director and screenwriter. She was a longtime collaborator with director Ingmar Bergman and ...

Reine Brynolfsson Reine Claes-Göran Brynolfsson (born 15 January 1953) is a Swedish actor. He was born in Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the f ...

and

Cecilia Ljung ''Ylva Cecilia Larsdotter'' Ljung (born 4 April 1961) is a Swedish actor, actress. She studied at Malmö Theatre Academy 1982–85. Selected filmography *1989 - ''Tre kärlekar'' (TV) *1994 - ''Rederiet'' (TV) *1995 - ''Evil Ed'' *1997 - ''P ...

. The film is based on a novel by an anonymous writer, who used the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

"John W. Grow", which suggests that a British professional

assassin Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

(played by

Michael Kitchen Michael Roy Kitchen (born 31 October 1948) is an English actor and television producer, best known for his starring role as Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle in the ITV drama '' Foyle's War'', which comprised eight series betwe ...

) was hired to kill

Plot

The film suggests that a British professional hit-man was hired by the

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

to assassinate the Swedish Prime Minister

, because of Palme's stance on nuclear weapons in Scandinavia. The hit-man (

) works for money alone and is very careful. He finds a Norwegian man (

Bjørn Floberg Bjørn Floberg (born 12 September 1947) is a Norwegian actor of film, television and theatre. He is particularly noted for playing unsympathetic authority figures, but he has also had success playing other types of roles. Career Theatre Flo ...

) that hates the Swedish P.M. He also sets up a man to become a scapegoat (this character is ''

Christer Pettersson Carl Gustaf Christer Pettersson (23 April 1947 – 29 September 2004) was a Swedish criminal who was a suspect in the 1986 assassination of Olof Palme, the Prime Minister of Sweden. In 1989 he was convicted of the murder in district court but ...

'', first convicted (by a disagreeing court ) of the real assassination, but later acquitted in the appealing court). The Norwegian man kills Palme just as his wife notices Christer Pettersson. Soon afterwards the hitman kills the killer, and all traces pointing to the professional hitman are gone.

Cast

... Roger Nyman, the secret police *

... John Gales alias Ray Lambert, the professional who assassinates the hit-man in order to clean up. *

... Nina Nyman, Roger Nyman's wife *

... Bo Ekman, police officer and Roger Nyman's best friend *

... Tom Nielsen, the Palme assassin, who is then killed himself by John Gales alias Ray Lambert. *Jacqueline Ramel ... Helene Salonen, of the secret police *

... Lisa Holmgren, journalist *Joakim Forslund ... Markus Nyman, Roger's child *Julia Brådhe-Dehnisch ... Josefin Nyman (as Julia Dehnisch) *Agnes Granberg ... Sara Nyman, Roger's child *Johan Lindell ... Bernhard Lange, of the secret police *Mathias Henrikson ... Peter Bark *Donald Högberg ... Appelqvist, of the secret police *

Per Ragnar Per Ragnar, ''Per-Erik Ragnar'' (born 29 May 1941), is a Swedish actor, director and author. Biography Ragnar was born in Kalmar, Sweden and is the son of district manager Hans Ragnar and the postal clerk Karin, née Pettersson. Ragnar trained ...

... kg, of the secret police *Paul Birchard ... Bertram Norris * Anders Ekborg ... Bengt Löfgren *

Leif Andrée Leif Allan Andrée (born Leif Allan Johansson 29 January 1958 in Stockholm) is a Swedish actor. Andrée has been engaged at Teater Galeasen, National Swedish Touring Theatre, Chinateatern, Stockholm City Theatre and Unga Riks. Films *'' Kv ...

... Max Berg, the corrupt journalist *Ola Isedal ... Karl Larsson, the drug addict *Stephen Webber ... Wilson, the American *Stig Engström ... Bartender at the press club *Emil Forselius ... The Robber *Claudia Galli ... Shop Assistant *Tshamano Sebe ... Ery Sontanga, the African *Faith Maqoqa ... Judy Sontanga, the African *Bankole Omotoso ... Luwamba *Dipuo Huma ... Lambert's cleaning lady *Stephan Karlsén ... Arkivman *Sven-Åke Wahlström ... Palmehatare * Lasse Petterson ... Palmehatare *Berndt Östman ... Portier (as Bernt Östman) *Roger S. Karlsson ... Guard *Bo Bertil Lundqvist ... Statsministern

References

Notes

External links

* * *
Variety
' {{DEFAULTSORT:Last Contract, The 1998 films 1998 crime thriller films Films directed by Kjell Sundvall Films set in 1985 Assassination of Olof Palme 1990s Swedish-language films Swedish crime thriller films Films set in 1986 1990s Swedish films