THE 12TH MAN **

Another war film based on actual events. Twelve Norwegian saboteurs fail in their mission. Eleven are executed by the Nazis but one, "The 12th Man"of the title, escapes and Harald Zwart's film is his story. It's a good, intelligent movie; a little slow perhaps and certainly overlong at 135 minutes but never less than fascinating and with excellent performances from Thomas Gullestad as the 12th man and from the Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the SS officer who pursues him. Unfortunately the misery is piled on thick and fast which means it's not a particularly entertaining picture and the barren, snow-covered Norwegian wastes are hardly photogenic though they are superbly photographed by Geir Hartly Andreassen. It's certainly exciting with a terrific climax but Gullestad endures so much pain and suffering you may feel the need to switch off or at least have a stiff drink when it's over; I certainly did.