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Kenneth Branagh's Wallander |
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#201 |
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,237
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Seems I'm alone in saying I quite enjoyed this first episode. I think KB is brilliant in the role and I thought the SA township settings were very evocative, having visited Soweto myself in the 90s it was interesting to see how things have changed since then - or not, shockingly.
I liked the subtle touches that reminded me of Wallander's fragile mental health - like his feeling "isolated in a crowd" scene during the conference break. I know how that feels and I thought it was portrayed really well. Also his obvious pleasure at being included in the family party, where he felt most comfortable. All subtle but telling and makes the character 3-dimensional. Great stuff, for me at least. Quote:
A bit dull.
Not sure of some of the plot lines (although I may have been bored). How did he find the operative's car and was it the only car in SA with dust on the hubs? Quote:
What was there to connect the politician to the attempted killing?
I don't think they had any actual evidence yet apart from Wallander hearing his voice (and the peacock) on the phone, and the fact that he left the election rally early, but they were about to search his house and would presumably have found the phone that he used to talk to Meyer. I guess he must have thought there was enough evidence for them to find or he wouldn't have killed himself. But I bet there would be a lot of conspiracy theories about his death.
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#202 |
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Kent
Posts: 2,854
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Who murdered the wife & why?
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#203 |
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 364
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Hinterland was slow, but this was even slower.
Very sad to see it end, I liked this version, even if they did have cotton in their mouths. catsitter, that was probably a conciliation for Americans, who still can't figure out when it should be 'series' and when it should be 'season'. Truth be told, I can't either. |
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#204 |
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 384
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Why does this UK-made version insist on pronouncing the lead character's name as WOllander, when it should be (and is in the original Swedish version) vallANder?
tim |
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#205 |
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 384
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Quote:
I guess he must have thought there was enough evidence for them to find or he wouldn't have killed himself. But I bet there would be a lot of conspiracy theories about his death.
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#206 |
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 26
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I think KB's portrayal is actually pretty close to the one in the books where he always has considerable doubt and angst.
The last episode and book "The Troubled Man" has quite a depressing ending for Kurt but it does bring the series sort of full circle from the first episode with his Father. (That isn't a spoiler as anyone who has read the book will know what happens). |
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#207 |
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 384
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Quote:
A bit dull.
Not sure of some of the plot lines (although I may have been bored). How did he find the operative's car and was it the only car in SA with dust on the hubs? What was there to connect the politician to the attempted killing? he had already learnt that if you leave a car unlocked it soon attracts attention and from personal experience, if not from childish fingers from monkeys (that's real ones!) tim |
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#208 |
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Richmond, Surrey.
Posts: 13,814
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I lost the plot when KB went unaccompanied into the township, then into the bar, and then started sniffing around.
As if... I KNOW we need plot devices to move it along, and we all realise that a certain amount of artistic licence is needed, but that was just too implausible for me. At least next week, he's back in Ystad, so will give that one a try |
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#209 |
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: colchester
Posts: 15,350
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Quote:
He looked at all the cars parked near Meyer's address.
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#210 |
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 37,020
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I have never seen the Swedish version.
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#211 |
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,158
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I always thought the Krister Hendrikson series nailed it
perfectly,as per the books. The Rolf Lassgard ones were still (arguably) better than the Brannagh ones though,I.M.O! |
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#212 |
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: London
Posts: 10,746
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Hey! Lovely to see the familiar names on here - ILW, LostProphet and Barnsley Keith!!!! Yay!
(I was worried BK might no longer be with us- all the good ones have gone this year!) Watched only a bit as had to chase small puppy round the house in case of weeage on the floor but though I dislike Branagh in these I do think they follow the books very faithfully and are well produced so looking forward to catching up! |
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#213 |
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 18,570
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Quote:
A bit dull.
Not sure of some of the plot lines (although I may have been bored). How did he find the operative's car and was it the only car in SA with dust on the hubs? What was there to connect the politician to the attempted killing? The politician wanted to build luxury homes on the land whilst the opposition wanted to build affordable homes. He hired killers but didn't pay them. Wallander advised the 'would be killer' at the window to leave, otherwise he'd be killed presumably by the guy on the motorbike... ( who was already dead because Wallander had killed him) lol |
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#214 |
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 18,570
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Who murdered the wife & why?
I think she was killed by the guy we saw at the beginning in the shed....or the motorbike guy. |
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#215 |
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 18,570
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Quote:
Hinterland was slow, but this was even slower.
Wallander was brilliant. I loved it's slowness. |
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#216 |
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: colchester
Posts: 15,350
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Quote:
The politician wanted to build luxury homes on the land whilst the opposition wanted to build affordable homes. He hired killers but didn't pay them. Wallander advised the 'would be killer' at the window to leave, otherwise he'd be killed presumably by the guy on the motorbike... ( who was already dead because Wallander had killed him) lol
Not really a fan of the 'go abroad' episodes in any type of series. |
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#217 |
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 3,173
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Just watched on iplayer. What a shockingly bad start to the series. The last series was well written, this was a by the numbers job, that didn't engage.
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#218 |
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 18,570
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Thanks, but I meant evidence wise. The politician seemed someone who could bluff it out and could stymie any investigation.
Not really a fan of the 'go abroad' episodes in any type of series. |
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#219 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Buckingham
Posts: 28,540
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(That isn't a spoiler as anyone who has read the book will know what happens).
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#220 |
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 98
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Quote:
I always thought the Krister Hendrikson series nailed it
perfectly,as per the books. The Rolf Lassgard ones were still (arguably) better than the Brannagh ones though,I.M.O! Kenneth Branagh is just too British in the part. They could have given him any name and made a reasonable series but he is not really Kurt Wallander. |
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#221 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Buckingham
Posts: 28,540
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He is not really anyone. It is as if they filmed the run through and KB didn't hear the director call "Action".
(just started watching the repeat of him in Shackleton and he is not much better in that) |
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#222 |
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 364
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Quote:
Thanks, but I meant evidence wise. The politician seemed someone who could bluff it out and could stymie any investigation.
Not really a fan of the 'go abroad' episodes in any type of series. It was an awful, useless start to the final series/season, but the finale was good. I shall miss Wallander and Lewis. Good riddance, otoh, to D/A and Mr. Selfridge. |
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#223 |
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 13,222
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I was transfixed by the first two thirds of this and then left confused and disappointed by the ending. What I did like was the atmospheric landscapes and the grinding tension of Branagh's (and the wife's at the beginnings) exploration of the locations. I also thought the township scenes were brilliantly evoked, with great realism from what I assume were non-professional extras
Because of the ending and the rather excessive fascination with Branagh's every actorish twitch and movement, I have to rate this as the worst of his episodes. I like his Wallander a lot, even though the Swedish Wallanders are even better. But this one seemed to fizzle out. |
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#224 |
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 37,020
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I had a small business dealing with Kenny B last year and can report he's a thoroughly decent fellow so it's all the more disappointing that I've never liked his Wallander.
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#225 |
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: The Sixth Circle of Hell
Posts: 20,195
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Having seen the Henriksson version of Wallander really enjoy this version as well.
In fact I would say it is my favourite of the two (having never read the books). Krister's version was more of an A-B police procedural whilst Branagh's has always been all about Kurt himself - last week's episode was relatively cheerful compared to the morass of misery and desolation of the previous series. It was good stuff, slow burning but still entertaining - at least in my view. |
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