Wallander

[TheCorpulent1]

Has anyone seen this series of films? I watched the first one months ago, primarily to get acquainted with Tom Hiddleston's acting after he was cast in Thor. I enjoyed it (especially Branagh's performance), but it was so depressing that I had to take a breather and find some more upbeat stuff. I finally came back to the series last week and watched the second film. I was happy to find that it kind of picked up the mood a bit--or maybe I was just getting used to the horrible details of Wallander's life.

Either way, by the time I watched the third film last weekend, I was in love with the series. It's just beautiful. The tone is harrowing, as I mentioned--it's definitely not for the faint of heart--but if you stick with it, you're rewarded to some really compelling stories and some absolutely wonderful performances. The films themselves are quite lovely as well. The shots chosen, the lighting, the locations--they all convey mood really well, and with a certain stylish flair that I wouldn't have expected from what is essentially a soap opera built around a police procedural core.

Anyway, I absolutely loved the three films they've done so far and was wondering if others had seen them. I don't know if they're doing more, but I certainly hope they are.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Yeah, PBS aired the first series during April/May and I loved it. I didn't know who the heck Hiddleston was, but I love mysteries and crime drama.

Brannagh rocked it pretty hard and the actress playing is daughter was hawt!

 

[chamber-music]

They showed the Swedish version on the BBC as well as Brannagh's version.

If you think Wallander was depressing you should check out long running crime show 'Waking The Dead'. Its like a cross between Se7en and CSI.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waking_the_Dead_(TV_series)

The main character Detective Boyd is as likely to beat a suspect to death as arrest them.

 

[Keyser Soze]

Yes, Wallander is just about the most depressing show on TV. And if it's possible, the second season (which just finished here in the UK on Sunday) is even more bleak than the first three films that you've seen, Corp.

However, I do agree that it is a wonderful series, just brimming with atmosphere, and beautifully shot. And at the centre of it all is Kenneth Branagh, delivering an absolute knockout, powerhouse performance, so subtle and nuanced, a real showcase of his incredible acting talent. There was a scene in this last episode from Sunday that I had to rewind and watch again, just to take in the amount of stuff going on with Branagh's performance, it just felt so real.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Oh, excellent, they did do a second series? Is it another small batch of feature-length films or a more traditional episodic structure?

 

[chamber-music]

three 1 hour and a half long episodes.