This movie is the proof that in some -though rare- occasions the film adaptation of a book is better than the novel itself. ''Snabba Cash'' is based on the trilogy of crime novels written by one of the most successful criminal defense attorneys in today's Stockholm, Jens Lapidus, so there are two more films (Snabba Cash 2-''Hard To Kill'' and Snabba Cash 3-''Life Deluxe''). The writer's invaluable professional experiences and communication with real criminals benefit the realism element in the book and is reflected both in the wonderful descriptions of Stockholm's ugly side as well as the ''natural'' dialogues. As far as the film is concerned I believe that the first one is the best of the three, directed by Daniel Espinoza (''Den fördömde'', ''Child 44'') and starring a wonderful cast with Joel Kinnaman (JW), Dragomir -''Gago''- Mrsic (Mrado) and Cristian Varela (Jorge) as the three main protagonists. The movie is a penetrative look at Stockholm's underbelly nowadays, following the lives of JW, a young lad from Sweden's countryside who uses his bright mind in order to invade Stockholm's aristocrats' social circle, Mrado who is a Serbian mafioso and enforcer with a little daughter and finally Jorge, a Latin immigrant who manages to escape from prison and frantically search an effective way in order to make easy money. The lives of those three intersect and a well-crafted plot, which remains faithful to the book, is beginning to unfold in front of the reader's eyes. This is a fast-paced film with some action and really great characters: Mrado is more than convincing as the Yugoslavian thug causing pain and disaster as Dragomir Mrsic (who was himself a bank robber, arrested at 1990 and sentenced to three and a half years of incarceration in Hall prison) delivers a totally brilliant performance which shows that the Bosnia and Herzegovina born actor has a lot of potentials. His acting is one of the -many- highlights of the film while both Kinnaman and Varela deliver more than satisfying performances of their roles. I would also like to mention Dejan Cukic who is terrific in a rather brief appearance, incarnating the Serbian mob boss Radovan.''Snabba Cash'' is a fast-tempo modern-day film which proves that Europeans can produce great films of the crime genre. This is an absolute must-see for all crime fiction addicts.

EASY MONEY is a highly effective slice of Scandi crime drama that blows the socks off the Hollywood competition. It's a film responsible for introducing new talent to the international scene in the form of lead Joel Kinnaman (who went on to be the new ROBOCOP) and director Daniel Espinosa (who went on to direct the Denzel Washington thriller SAFE HOUSE on the strength of this).The story is a complex but watchable one that tells of various competing criminal factions seeking to control the local drug supply. The mix of amoral characters is what makes this film feel unique; the hero is anything but heroic, merely out to save his own skin, and thus has a kind of vibrant realism missing from all those goody two-shoes in Hollywood flicks. Plus, Dragomir Mrsic's Serbian hit-man is good enough to deserve a film all to himself, and really helps to add quality to the film.Epinosa's direction is another strength as he forgoes the typical dark and dingy look of a Scandinavian crime flick and instead creates a bright, colourful and beautiful look for the film. I had the pleasure of seeing this in high definition and it really looks a treat. EASY MONEY isn't an action film or a thriller packed with suspense scenes, but the quality of the script and plotting mean you'll be glued to the screen as if it were. Bring on the sequel!

Film starts out pretty good. There is sharp tension between the ethnic Swedes and the immigrant communities. Interesting material, I thought. The movie depict well how extended families are important for the southern European gangsters and how that safety is not available to the ethnic Swedes. After having started great, after one hour the movie starts to sag. It turns into some kind of traditional politically correct production. It is as if the director had second thoughts. After having shown the immigrants to be pretty pathetic individuals, the director feels an urge to show that they are human beings after all. This is done by having the foreign gangsters have little girls and buy dolls and baby clothing. So pathetic. By now the film is really not worth watching. The story of the ethnic Swede studying economics and then just going into heavy crime is just not believable. I started out out thinking that this is a 7 movie after 15 minutes, but then my verdict gradually went down all the way to 1. This is just a waste of time.

MediumRareTv.org Director, Daniel Espinosa, attempts to recreate the success of Jens Lapidus' novel, Snabba Cash (Easy Money). Maria Karisson was challenged with writing the screenplay, while Lapidus supplied insight for the manuscript. The film was originally released in 2010 and has now finally made its way to the states after several American film companies hashed it out for the rights. Expect sequels in the near future.Johan "JW" Westland (Joel Kinnaman) is a student at the Stockholm School of Economics, who also secretly moonlights as a cabbie for Abdulkarim (Mahmut Suvakci), to make extra cash. When JW isn't driving a cab or studying he's, partying with the rich and powerful and goes out of his way to appear as one of them with his style of dress and charismatic demeanor. When Abdulkarim approaches JW with an opportunity to make some fast cash, he can't resist.JW is tasked with delivering Jorge Salinas (Matias Padin Varela), who recently escaped prison, to Abdulkarim. Upon arriving at their rendezvous point, JW discovers that Jorge is being followed by Mrado Slovovic (Dragonir Mrsic) and must think fast if he is to save Jorge, whom he never met, from an uncertain death and collect his bankroll. He succeeds, impressing both Jorge and Abdulkarim, and is given the opportunity to work with them both in the drug trade they're attempting to get off the ground. Soon he is faced with the difficulty of managing two lives, one of which includes new girlfriend, Sophie (Lisa Henni).JW is clearly the entity Easy Money revolves around in this action film, though,filmmakers Espinosa and Karisson attempt to reveal secondary story-lines with Jorge and Mrado–a feat which may have been less cumbersome in the novel. The film rotates between the three characters, but you can't help but feel cheated due to the incompleteness of their backstories. They do succeed in humanizing the three to some degree. Hence, Mrado is the hardened killer who finds himself caring for his young daughter unexpectedly and allowing his paternal instincts to take over. Likewise, Jorge vows to care for his family once the big drug deal is completed.Espinosa directs a suspenseful film that doesn't solely depend on action sequences to entertain. Kinnaman gives a charming performance as JW. Varela and Mrsic both give noteworthy performances. By far, JW is the most complex of the characters. At first glance, it seems he is motivated by money, but it becomes clear that a sense of belonging is also a factor. His growing friendship with Jorge begins to impact his decisions and his relationship with Sophie. In fact, the bond of friendship plays a big part in the films questionable ending. However, it again appears the character development between the two lacked the necessary foundation as the outcome attempts to support. JW does evolve throughout this tale, but for the better or for the worse is left up to the viewer. Minus a few hiccups, Easy Money is engrossing and worthy of a look.