User Reviews

Watching two episodes of "Wallander" makes me think of Isabelle Huppert's line in Hal Hartley's great "Amateur": "everything I write comes out sad. Why do you think that is?" Kenneth Brannagh's shambling, weary detective Kurt Wallander is as far from TV's 'Columbo' as it's possible to get, despite certain physical similarities.

In a way that I seem to recognise as uniquely Nordic, Wallander goes about his daily business – solving murders – with a residual sadness on him and his world, and everything in the show – from the art-house photography and pared-down sets, to the score, to his life and to each episode's stories themselves – helps create a consistent portrait, so that by the time I settled down for episode two, Wallander's appearance was an automatic trigger to a certain state of mind.

Each classy episode takes its time, draws visual comparisons, sets Wallander up in his world, makes you know him better. I'm loving it : it's on a par with the excellent French TV thriller "Engrenages" that previously appeared on BBC4, and anything ever so slightly formulaic about the story lines in each episode is offset by the serious and committed acting, the well-drawn characterisation, the consistent visual tone. I'm so glad they avoided the Meryl Streep world of accents and wholesale removal of the drama to the UK (or USA). These are Swedish characters in a Swedish town who write in Swedish – it's just that we're hearing them in English. And this technique allows them to cast truly excellent English supporting actors without any fear of uneven accents or geographic transitions that don't work so well. (No English forest ever looks quite like a Scandinavian one. And the British don't so much do sadness and mournful humour, as bleakness and black humour – they're quite different.)

I saw Kenneth Brannagh as an electrifying 'Hamlet' on stage in the late 80s, and this feels something like being reacquainted with an old ghost. He's no longer young, and he's not beautiful, but he makes masterful use of his eyes, his voice, the very weariness life has given him – to create a memorable man, not just a cartoon portrait. Highly recommended.

Detective Kurt Wallander, a man in perpetual need of a shave and a healthy meal is a noir-by-day modern gumshoe fighting for justice. His dedication has cost him. His wife left him after finding out he's already married to his work. His daughter is an earnest and dutiful supporter of the detective, but oblivious to the evil his eyes see daily. Not sure how he's doing it, but Kenneth Branagh OWNS this role and he's *really* appealing as this frayed-at-the-edges public servant. Shot like a mini-series, or a movie for TV, I admit I am impressed with his ability to flex into this role that is so utterly unlike his Shakespeare work. Frankly, he acts circles around the other cast members. A must-see for the mildest Branagh fan and good enough for any mystery/detective story lover. FYI: Disc 1 has two episodes. Disc 2 has one episode and special features that has spoilers if you don't see the other shows first. I was disappointed that I saw the 3rd episode before the first two. I understand there are 3 more episodes ordered for 2010. 07/09

This new addition to the TV detective genre grabbed my attention and I was rewarded by an enjoyable drama. I was impressed by the scenery, Nordic interiors and ambiance of this piece, and it had an atmosphere of Northern light that reminded me of other detective stories set in the north, such as Insomnia (Al Pacino, in Alaska) or Smilla's Feeling for Snow. That atmosphere was compelling and Ken Branagh's performance kept my attention, although the plot seemed to be heading in a certain direction and the answer was not a big surprise. The fact that everyone spoke English but all were clearly Swedish was amusing as well. That aspect reminded me of Gorky Park, in which all the Russians spoke with English accents. It allows the suspension of disbelief and the English-speaking viewer feels drawn into another culture. I don't usually watch detective/murder mysteries these days because I don't enjoy murder as a spectator sport, but this was worth seeing because of the performances and the unusual setting, sets, high production values and stunning photography. Looking forward to the next 2 episodes.

Other reviewers have already praised this series adequately. I only want to add that this series renewed my interest in seeing just about every film or TV presentation that Kenneth Branagh has acted in. He's been in some vehicles that weren't terrific, but he is unfailingly a great actor.

When you watch Wallander, and you see his eyes begin to well up with tears, or you see him struggling to get an answer to come out of his mouth, you really do forget you are watching an ACTOR. Branagh literally becomes Wallander and you think Wallander is a real person. It is partly the way the character is written, but much of the credit goes to Branagh.

Wallander is a man who struggles with words, so he is the opposite of Branagh, to whom words are golden. You can tell this from Branagh's interviews as well as from his performances. The visuals in the series are stunning, the plots are interesting, but it is Wallander's complex and troubled personality that really forces one to stay with the series. He's so real, so human. Don't miss it.

This is a series of high quality with storyline based on the successful novels of Henning Mankell and on an outstanding actor in the leading role.

Why you MUST see it?

• Incredible character development! Wallander's personality is an open book to the viewer who is in sympathy with him and is able to share their feelings with him as the plot reveals itself. The series manages to depict a great and charming contradiction. Wallander is a compassionate inspector who suffers from the murders he encounters during his investigations. He is inappropriately compassionate for this job yet he does everything for it. Although misery follows his personal life he doesn't lose hope and believes in the goodness of people. This is that gives him the dimension of a hero even though he is presented incredibly ordinary and human who often make mistakes.

• Really good acting from the most of the cast.

• Amazing directing which transfers completely the atmosphere of Sweden. It is really good that BBC decided to film the series in Sweden as it provides ideal landscapes for photography and directing and greatly matches with the melancholic personality of Wallander and with the original script of course.

• Solid script that follows consistently enough Mankell's novels.

If you prefer a series that is based on quality and not visual effects you should definitely go for it.

I usually enjoy British-made mystery series, and "Wallander," starring Kenneth Brannaugh, is one of the recent series that particularly stands out.

Based on the mystery novels by Henning Mankell, "Wallander" maintains the Swedish setting of the novels, and the slightly moody tone of the books. Wallander is a complex character with many foibles, but he remains sympathetic, and Brannaugh's portrayal is spot-on. The relationship of the title character with his daughter and his colleagues rings true both to life and to the original novels.

As to another reviewer thinking it's odd that they're speaking English when it's set in Sweden, unless it's being dubbed from English into another language (particularly Swedish), I would find nothing odd about it. I wouldn't expect a British series to be written in Swedish, regardless of the setting or the original source. No more did I expect "The Last Emperor" to be filmed in Chinese or the characters in "I, Claudius" to be speaking Latin. The Swedish setting is highly evocative, and the series is true to the spirit of the books.

I highly recommend "Wallander" for anyone who likes character-driven detective mysteries. (ETA: BTW, anyone who has a chance to see the original Swedish "Wallander" series, it is somewhat different, the drama more implied through the circumstances of the particular crimes, and is more subdued; there's also more of a "police procedural" feel to it. They're sometimes shown on U.S. television w/ English subtitles. I don't know if it's available dubbed or not -- but as I prefer not to watch things that are dubbed even when I don't speak the language, I'm very glad to say that I'm only acquainted with the subtitled version. I'd say that the Swedish version picks up more the plot and action of the books, whereas the British version is more interested in the characters, particularly Wallander, but also the characters and motivation of the perpetrators.)

While it does have its slow moments, and one or two plots may have moments that are hard to keep up. Regardless of how inferior it is or not to the 2005 series which is admittedly absolutely brilliant, this is still extremely good and any other flaws if any are compensated by the quality of how the series is made, constructed and acted. For instance, the Swedish setting is truly evocative and very often stunning. The music is haunting too, while the writing is of really good quality and the stories in general very well written. And then we have Kenneth Branagh, who I think is a great actor and more than decent director, especially in Shakespeare. He is brilliant as the dour and world-weary Kurt Wallander, and Sarah Smart, Jeany Spark, Rixhard McCabe and David Warner solidly support him. Overall, this is a well done television series. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Both the first series of Swedish TV's Wallander and the second collection of British TV's interpretations have recently been aired on British TV, and whilstthey share a number of elements and qualities (locations, excellent filmatography, thoughtful and impressive 'takes' on the central figure of Kurt Wallander), it's the differences that seem to separate a good television drama from an outstanding one.

Obviously the two productions differ in a number of basic ways and it's worth highlighting these as a given. For the most part Swedish Wallander uses Mankel's stories as inspiration, creating unique plots per episode, whilst British Wallander uses the source material and thus far has for the most part faithfully adapted 6 of Mankel's books (interestingly the choice has been to adapt out of sequence, although the original stories were also published out of sequence, in Britian at least). An exception is the depiction of Kurt's father and his struggle with dementia, which logically has to progress through the overall TV series.

A second key difference is the interpretation of Kurt Wallander's relationship with his daughter. Swedish TV puts Linda into the police force from the outset, and uses this device to explore their legendary troubled relationship with the added frisson of professional, hierarchical tensions. Also into the mix is the relationship between Linda and her colleague Stefan Lindman. British Wallander maintains the original Linda/Kurt story arc, with Linda not yet having enrolled for police duty.

A third difference is the inclusion/exclusion of the Ann-Britt Höglund character. It seems the Swedish version quickly came to view this character as unnecessary within the looser story structure, as she is dispensed with well before Series One concludes. For British TV Höglund remains integral, just as she is in the books.

However, setting aside these givens, there are a number of factors which set the two interpretations apart in terms of quality, success and viewer experience. British Wallander is quite pacey, moving the story along briskly from scene to scene. Whilst this mostly works, it does occasionally occur at the expense of scene and/or character development - the camera (and therefore the viewer) is forced to follow Kurt, leaving other characters as cyphers. This is most notable during scenes with colleagues at police HQ. Swedish Wallander adopts a slower style, allowing characters and stories to develop and unfold with greater subtlety. This approach leads to a second and quite fundamental difference, and it is this element that underlines the superiority of the Swedish Wallander. The combination of writing, direction and editing for a slower pace allows the Swedish actors to effectively 'do less' and achieve more. Accordingly, Henricksson, Bergman, Sällström, Rapace et al are repeatedly given the time and direction to use economy and skill to enable the viewer to understand what they are thinking, feeling etc. The final episode of Series One was a particular example of this, with all concerned but particularly Sällström and Henricksson underplaying beautifully to create scenes of desperate sadness, bewilderment and loss whilst actually 'doing' very little. In comparison, a combination of misjudged casting and actors being let down by script and scene construction in the British version means for the most part the viewer receives less reward. Branagh, Warner and most notably McCabe as Nyberg are the exceptions, the former not least because Wallander remains the prime focus through the British drama, and is therefore given more time, scene-by-scene, and Warner because he is quite simply an experienced and clever film actor. Yet it is McCabe who shines, underplaying beautifully, especially during scenes in Episode 4 - The Faceless Killers.

Views on casting are always contentious. Suffice to say, the Swedish series has somehow managed to secure a host of clever actors who know a thing or two about camera work, and particularly scenes in close-up. From the moments of occasional humour gratefully received from Mörck's Ebba and Gunnarsson's Svartman (an incidental and unsung masterpiece of a performance) to the brilliance of Henricksson and Sällström, it's the Swedish production which holds the treats and subtleties and warrants repeat viewings.

The British Wallander is indeed watchable, but let's hope the BBC transmits Series 2 of the Swedish production as soon as possible, and let's also hope the absence of Rapace and Sällström doesn't diminish what has been an excellent television production.

Wallander is a British television series adapted from the Swedish novelist Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander novels & starring Kenneth Branagh as the depressed gloomy police inspector (who is also separated from his wife). Wallender is the Swedish equivalent of Inspector Morse. The six-episode series from BBC Scotland was broadcast first on BBC One from November to December 2008. It is the first time the Wallander novels have been adapted into an English-language production. The protagonist, Kurt Wallander, is played by Kenneth Branagh. He describes Wallander as "an existentialist [...] who is questioning what life is about & why he does what he does every day, & for whom acts of violence never become normal. There's a level of empathy with the victims of crime that's almost impossible to contain, -one of the prices he pays for that sort of empathy is a personal life that's a kind of wasteland. Primarily filmed in Ystad Sweden. The 1st disc includes the episodes Sidetracked & Firewall. This series was also partially produced by Branagh personally. See IMDb 1178618 for info & synopsis of all episodes. For some reason n flix is only stocking episode 3 of season 2 leaving us viewers with 3 episodes unseen. This series is so excellent I will buy them on Ama/zon if I have to. To me this series is just the BEST crime drama I have ever viewed. Great sets with highest production values- great plots from the famous Mankells books. The cinematography is just phenomenal—really stunning photography. Branagh as the police detective with personal demons is so powerful in this role. He portrays a complex Wallander with all his character defects-but Branagh helps the character remain sympathetic to us the viewers. Films presentation enables the viewer to understand what they (the ensemble cast) are thinking, feeling. Murder is grotesque & there are some very bloody scenes in this. This absolutely the most spellbinding 180 minutes of film I have seen in a long long time.

Great stories and writing. I did enjoy every episode but just one aspect had me very disappointed indeed.

I'd never before seen Kenneth Branagh in anything at all. I'd not avoided it, it just didn's happen for some reason. Having said that I knew his reputation for being a superb actor and I just assumed that was the case.

Quite frankly, I was very disappointed indeed. The supporting cast are all superb but to me Branagh really struggles to seem even partly convincing in the role he was trying to achieve. To be perfectly honest, I actually felt embarassed at times, particlularly when he was trying to portray the quite man who stumbles whilst finding his words. It was completely incongruent and just amateur.

I'd just finished watching 'Hinterland' when I started Wallander. Hinterland is seriously much better in almost every respect.

Branagh portrays Henning Menkel's obsessed and depressive detective with morose conviction. Instead Wallander feels as if it has been done the other way around, like a typical British TV crime drama transplanted to Sweden. The actors' curiously stilted and accent-less English often grates on the ear and the use of Swedish names and places requires the same suspension of disbelief required to listen to dubbed films. It also makes it difficult for the actors to flesh out their characters or make them entirely believable in a Swedish context.

Much of the time, Branagh and co. simply aren't convincing as police officers, and sound more like a group of Oxbridge academics conducting a research project rather than police engaged in a murder inquiry. The series is also limited in that it has been written too much as a vehicle for Branagh, and the other characters are marginalized to the point when they barely have any individual life at all.

All this is very different from the Swedish original, where even the regular minor characters became important components of the storyline, with tensions and relationships that were were clearly established, and where crimes were solved, not just because of Wallander's moments of individual genius, but through teamwork and collaboration and the gradual accumulation of small details.

And for all his moody, unshaven portrayal of a driven and traumatized detective haunted by his job and his personal demons, Branagh's performance pales in comparison with his Swedish counterpart Krister Henriksson.

Henriksson's Wallander had a complexity, humanity and nobility that is lacking in Branagh's more one-dimensional performance. His strikingly expressive face conveyed the sense of a man constantly saddened and outraged by the unspeakable acts he is forced to witness, and taking consolation in his music, his relationships with women, his dog, and the sea.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/mjm4xs7

I read the reviews and at 8.0 it suggested this was a good series. I thoroughly enjoy detective series, and especially scandenavian ones. I have seen things Kenneth Branagh has been in, in the past, and thought him a good actor, but I found this series very wooden and sadly lacking.

I've seen all of the 3 "new" Wallander-movies and I have to say that they are the best so far. Kenneth Branagh's acting is superb. He reanimates the character of Kurt Wallander to a whole new level. Every characteristic of the person is played in a very distinct way. Beginning with filming and camera positions, all of the new Wallander Movies have great moments which are very intensive to watch. I haven't seen much TV-productions with such quality so far. Besides the various broadcasting-times in Germany (probably due to the laws of youth protection), I have no arguments against this Wallander-Thrillers. If you liked the previos Mankell-Stories, you will love this (more book-based) version of the story.

The other thing is that Kenneth Branagh is an international star, thus his Wallander is more distinguishing and less team player: his colleagues have less importance and less time on screen than in the Swedish version. Branagh's Wallander is also more unsociable and seems more depressed, underlined by long scenes focusing on his face expression under driving or walking. The big plus is that the Brits have tried to create the Swedish atmosphere as much as possible, signs are in Swedish etc. Well, the UK and Sweden have same latitudes, so the filming of Swedish nature was also possible in England.

Nevertheless, if you like Scandinavian crime thrillers (with slower pace, minimum explosions/chases, long nature frames), then the Wallander series is definitely for you. However, the "trinity" series is better to watch in a temporal sequence, they have some references to earlier events.

I enjoy a good mystery that doesn't drag, Kenneth Branaugh shines in this it's modern hip & it doesn't over saturate your senses.I recommend it just on the strength of good strong characters in this series,there not to complex where they drag you to sleep.The shocking scenes in this series are not to far over the top,your attention is maintained without all the special effects you would think that crimes such as these don't happen to often in Sweden,the writer makes you believe,so if you live in a bubble existence this will be a shocker to you.Furthermore the character feels real to me he has legitimate problems that he balance's out pretty well with his coworkers & daughter,he doesn't rant & rave like most cop show character's & he's not dry either.

Very glad to learn Ingeborga Dapkunaite is returning for the fourth season .. hopefully she can rescue him.. and this series from its dismal, doomed feeling.. (is there anytime any sun in these locations?). Wallander is a good show.. decidedly not for mass appeal, but none the less worthwhile viewing. But surely the lead character could be less distant and forlorn (it is never ending with doom and gloom surrounding him). The series needs to be rescued. Crime dramas are always less interesting than the life-stories of the characters described within them. There's three chances left.. let's roll the dice.. and wish it winds up on the side of hopefulness.

I have to agree with "bpotte's" review from 2012. Wallander is the dumbest cop in Europe. Hopefully he is the dumbest cop in the world or we America is in danger of extinction. I have only watched one episode, but it is mind boggling that anyone could be so self absorbed as to endanger the entire population of Sweeden by your active incompetence. By the end of the first season he will need to move and ravage a new country as there will be no-one left alive in Sweeden. But if the show is at all accurate, getting killed in Sweeden should be considered mercy killing. What a depressingly sterile country. The only reason for their relatively average suicide rate is the apathy the must engulf the entire population.

The program is well acted. I am a great fan of Brannah. Despite these positives, i can't bear to watch another episode. It would be like watching an NBA game because you had faith that all the officials in the league could not be incompetent. The again, I am a Cubs fan so maybe I will convince myself that the next episode is the one where he brilliantly catches the killer after only a handful of deaths.

Reportedly the original books were excellent.....this British adaption of those books then is not. The acting is spot-on and almost every actor is obviously very talented but the way the stories are told, the writing of the screenplay is simply DREADFUL. Unless you are entertained by the constant and seemingly endless cell calls that seem to interrupt EACH and every important event in the lead actors life you must conclude he is the most unlucky person alive or the writing is dreadful.....I choose the latter. Another sore point is the coincidences which seem to plague his every move....if he wants to go and check on a certain person....he arrives there to find they have been killed minutes ago....buildings with strong security have mysteriously been broken into seconds before his arrival. After a while it's just too much to stomach and you can't pay attention to the 'plot' for the wait for what 'last-minute' event is going to mes sit all up. All in all I found the series lacking in ANY sort of believably and in order to enjoy it you must suspend ALL sense of reality and immerse yourself in the fiction that says whatever happens is still POSSIBLE. I passed on the rest of the series after watching the first one.....I have better things to do than watch this wannabee 'Bridge'

...Anything really! It has been a while since I bombed into a serie without any fantasy. Its situated in Sweden but they all speak english. Why make a remake in the first place...? I just dont get it. Cop is struggling with his private life. Thats about it...

For some reason, I have this morbid fascination with the complex male character. Wallander feeds my need to crawl inside the male brain and watch a man driven by inward demons perform his difficult job of catching killers.

It is a BBC series about a Swedish detective. The stories are violent, sometimes sick, as the intense detective searches for the answer. However, it's not always the search for the killer that is intriguing about this series. It's more the character of Kurt Wallander, as he goes through life trying to find meaning for everything around him.

From a broken marriage, a dysfunctional relationship with his daughter, and a strained relationship with his father, it's a good challenge for a psychologist. As for my personal tastes, it holds the keys to great drama - an interesting storyline to keep you guessing and a subplot of the main character's life as it intertwines into his daily routine.

Putting aside the annoying ring tone on his telephone, it never seems to end getting him up at all hours of the night fetching him to the latest gruesome murder. Set in Sweden with beautiful landscape, the stories are adaptations of novels by a Swedish author, Henning Mankell.

Frankly, I'm not too keen on violent murders. Be forewarned quite a few of these are not a pretty sight. Nevertheless, I found the series deeply intriguing because of the character. There is something about him that makes you empathize with his pain. You see it, but he never articulates it. His relationships are estranged, and sadly he realizes he is the way he is because of his vocation. Not many crime series move me to tears, except one in particular in Season 2, "The Fifth Woman." The ending was a powerful climax to catching a serial killer and a breaking point for Wallander that was unprecedented.

Kenneth Branagh's performance in this series is top notch. With a long line of awards and other nominations for best actor, it's quite obvious he makes this series the time worth watching. If you are looking for a great and intense crime series, you should microwave the popcorn and check this one out.

KURT WALLANDER: THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL Tram wires

Cross northern skies

Cut my blue heart in two

My knuckles bleed

Down the tattered street On a door that shouldn't be In front of me

Lyric by Emily Barker from "Nostalgia", the theme song for Wallander

Television used to be a wasteland of melodrama and situation comedies, but in the past 10 years has become more of a home for excellent dramas than film, which far too often seems to get caught up in fads like 3D and spectacular special effects to draw in younger viewers. An example of great television drama is the BBC series "Wallander", starring Kenneth Branagh, who is often and deservedly compared to Laurence Olivier. 9 of these 90 minute police dramas have been made over the past 6 years, based on the best-selling mystery novels by Swedish author Henning Mankell; 3 more are currently being made and will be the final episodes in the series.

Branagh plays Kurt Wallander as a brooding, melancholic, burned out Police Inspector, whose moods match the barren Swedish landscape where the series has been filmed. Wallander is an obsessive workaholic who gets way too involved in his grisly work investigating homicides; his first wife has divorced him and moved on, and his grown daughter eventually stops speaking to him because his devotion to his work just leaves too little room for anyone who cares about him. When he moves in with a new girlfriend in a later episode, he immediately discovers a buried skeleton on the property and jumps on a ferry going over to Poland without even telephoning the girlfriend; he always expresses remorse, however, and we root for Wallander despite his getting lost in the fog of his inner demons.

Branagh said in an interview that he thinks the public has "great affection towards the character. There is no machismo swagger about him. He has this open-wound quality, and he takes all of these crimes personally. He has a sense of quiet, but intense moral outrage. He's appalled and surprised when people commit these terrible acts of cruelty, and he has an empathy for the victim that is almost dangerous to him."

In episode 2, his daughter has signed him up for an online dating service; his date observes that he doesn't seem able to create any professional distance between himself and his work as he talks about two young people who have been brutally murdered: Ella: Shouldn't you try to remember the good that you do? The bigger picture? Kurt: I don't really think there is a bigger picture. This is where we live. These are our lives, and they are fragile, and precarious. And miraculous. They're all we have. And for Sonya, and for Jonas, it doesn't really seem………..fair.

Police inspectors like Wallander see the dark side of the human experience; a 15 year old girl douses herself with gasoline and sets herself on fire in front of him; he sees and has to smell bloated, decomposing corpses, a body that has been put through a pulp shredder, and a corpse stolen from the coroner that has had its hands and feet hacked off before being dumped into the ocean. And the distraught family members of the perpetrators and the victims take out their anger on Wallander. It truly is the dark night of the soul, and one wonders why anyone would be willing to do a job like this day after day, year after year. Wallender himself says at one point that he has "been dead inside."

He is a man in crisis, as a profiler observes………and in one both pathetic and poignant bit of dialogue, he says that maybe he needs to get out …. "raise some carrots, and a few pigs; yes….a few pigs."

The production values for this series are outstanding; the cinematography of this overcast topography perfectly matches the glumness of the life that Wallander leads. The music is haunting, and many of the acting performances are just outstanding. At the center of it all is Branagh himself, who does the best acting I have ever seen him do in this series, and that is really saying something.