Firewall (2008)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Redundant and unnecessary.

I wanted to but couldn't!

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Wallander investigates two crimes, the first sees a man die by a cash point, apparently of a heart attack. The second case sees a taxi driver brutally stabbed to death by Sonja Hokberg, an eighteen year old girl who freely admits to killing him, totally oblivious to any possible ramifications. Meanwhile Wallander's daughter decides it's time for him to meet someone, he's matched with the beautiful Ella Lindfeldt, and the pair plan a date.I would say this is the best of the British made episodes of Wallander, it stands out for so many reasons. Firstly a story that could have been a bit common place is brought to life with such energy and vigour, the episode is well paced, full of tension, a real sense of urgency and threat are created. Wallander, normally quite emotionless is given a new dimension by the introduction of Ella, brilliantly performed by the gorgeous Orla Brady.The location looks fantastic, really adding to the darker tone of the episode, it feels bleak. Beautifully produced as always, a point also for destroying his phone, saving us from that annoying ringtone. Best of the bunch. 8/10

Do not read this if you expect to see the episode. On the other hand, read this and skip this episode. The convoluted plot begins with the coincidence of a young woman getting into a taxi that turns out to be driven by the man who raped her years before. She stabs him to death, figuring that there is no future anyway because she is involved in a sinister plot to destroy world banking and send the world into chaos. Then there's the coincidence of one of the men who is part of the evil dying of a stroke, in spite of his young age and healthy condition, right at the spot where the destruction is supposed to be triggered. Add to this the unbelievable premise that the bad guys hack the computer of the chief investigator and find out, that he is on a singles dating site, so they get the girlfriend of the chief bad guy to respond to his singles ad. Of course, she's the right age, beautiful, warm and sensitive, and the chief detective pines away for her even after she is killed (by the boyfriend), in spite of the fact that she was working with a man already responsible for at least two gruesome murders. And then there's the scene of the taxi-driving killer woman having a boyfriend with multiple computer screens set up showing the same texts as the big bad guy (who chops him up because he might talk). And the smart chief detective follows the big bad guy into a fog-shrouded woods, while the viewers shout out, "No, no! You can't see him but he can see you -- and when you're not looking, he'll get back into his van and speed away, after shooting at you, of course." Last time the chief detective was shot at he tripped on a rug at the exact moment, the same way he had in the set-up shot a few scenes earlier. Oh, com'on now. This is story-telling at its worst and most predictable.

As the first film of the English Wallander mini-series set a shining example, the second installment was a bit of a let-down in my eyes. Despite the obvious problems with turning a story that somewhat evolves around hackers into something eventful and interesting, Wallander himself isn't a very happening person; it's what's inside that makes most of this series kick, if you look away from the wonderful cinematography, the energetic screenplay, good dialogue and real acting, this story didn't entice me. It's a bit like flogging a dead horse, but still, not a very good TV film. I wish I could say something better about it, but the other two installments are, however, recommendable.

Ken Branagh has been around for so long one is surprised to see him still playing a semi- romantic role. Then it is remembered how very young he was when he burst into prominence with his **Henry V**--a role he now owns after appropriating it from no less a figure than Olivier.Sweden remains a quite sparsely populated country with a good deal of open space. This is excellently exploited in this three-part series set in the province of Skane in the southwest of Sweden. Some of the cinematography is Bergmanesque, capturing the bleak beauty of the region.Each program begins with the musical theme "Nostalgia", sung with affecting sadness by Emily Barker of the group Red Clay Halo from Australia. As a provincial detective with personal issues, Branagh captures the Scandinavian melancholy like a junior Max von Sydow--lengthy silences, expressions full of pain suffusing his baby face. Like any Shakespearian, he's also got a great voice, full of subtleties and surprising power. The supporting roles are well played by a strong British cast.This middle program deals with a terrifying conspiracy of international proportions and with some of the travails of mundane life. Several absurd coincidences unfortunately hinder suspension of disbelief. There also is a surprising amount of violence, with several murders, a mutilation and much blood. Branagh's Det. Wallander carries a pistol--a powerful 9mm SIG-Sauer--but he isn't much good at using it, not at least in this episode. In one scene he fires blindly into a thick fog, trying to stop a fleeing automobile. This is useless and probably against regulations.The action speeds up to a conclusion that mixes success and tragedy in nearly equal proportions.