Wallander

Wallander (2008) 

Season 1: Episodes Sidetracked and One Step Behind are spectacular. Here, the detective story genre is a kind of glue of a psychological drama about an internally decomposing detective, broken personal ties between police officers and the social ills of contemporary Sweden. One can easily talk about parallels with Larsson's infinitely overrated Millennium, the framework, the atmosphere and the similar approach. Philip Martin's direction brilliantly incorporates elements of Nordic dramas, depersonalized placement the characters in the landscape, jumps to moody lyrical shots, and the frequent positioning of the viewer behind glass, into isolation from the character. A cold yet thoughtful work that gives this series a completely unique atmosphere. Brannagh is breathtaking and easily plays all the different positions of sadness and waste that Wallander goes through. The middle part, Firewall, is a little out of concept, more classic, the plot is exaggerated, escalated into a slightly barren conspiracy thriller with elements of a forgettable melodrama about femme fatale. Certainly not the path Wallander should take. Overall: the series is 100% stylishly compatible with my taste. An existential crime thriller for those who like the North. Season 2: I see no weak spots here, I just have to highlight how Wallander is going against cheap political correctness, whether in The Faceless Killers (topic of immigration and racism) or in the absolutely fabulous episode The Man Who Smiled (exploitative compassion for third world countries). Wallander's psychic schism deepens to the point of complete dislocation from the world - Fifth Woman is an elegant closing of the dramatic arc and a kind of partial catharsis of the depression-torn "Job of Ystad". This needs another season - next to Sherlock, the best detective series I've ever seen. (21/01/2011)