Kennedy's Brain

Based on a book by Henning Mankell, creator of police inspector Kurt Wallander—the protagonist in both a successful Swedish TV series (VL-9/12) and an English version starring Kenneth Branagh (VL-9/09 and VL Online-11/12)—Kennedy's Brain is a standalone thriller about a mother trying to prove that the death of her son (officially termed up a suicide) was actually a murder. The title alludes to a rumor that John Kennedy's brain was surreptitiously preserved for scientific study, but this idea is used merely to lend a conspiratorial air to the proceedings, which focus on archeologist Louise Cantor (Iris Berben), who finds son, Henrik, dead the morning after his return from Africa. When the police close the case after a cursory investigation, Louise takes it upon herself to discover the truth, journeying to Mozambique with her estranged husband, Aron (Christophe Malavoy). There she finds herself thrust into danger, but eventually learns that Henrik's killing was linked to a horrendous scheme involving the AIDS epidemic and illicit research to develop drugs to combat it. Kennedy's Brain is a very polished production, sporting excellent location shooting and fine performances. But the plot's clunky mystery elements seem secondary to a heavy-handed message about the power of Big Pharma and Western corporate interests, making it more of a jeremiad than a compelling drama. Still, Mankell's deserved popularity makes this a strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)