Swedish detective Kurt Wallander (Kenneth Branagh) must deal with his own personal demons, as he investigates three baffling mysteries in the small, backwater town of Ystad.  This trio of 90-minute television movies are adapted from novels by best-selling mystery author Henning Mankell.

CRITIQUE

Wallander is, by far, the best cop/mystery series that I have come across in many years.  Indeed, it avoids almost all of the flaws that seem to plague even the most popular television shows of that genre.

Perhaps that’s because the stories are adapted directly from Henning Mankell’s novels, rather than being ground out by a television writer fighting a deadline.

Kurt Wallander is an overworked police detective with a host of personal problems.  He is separated from his wife, who has found a new love and is suing him for divorce.  His artist father (David Warner) is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and Wallander has also learned that he (Kurt) suffers from diabetes.  Aside from his work, the only meaningful relationship that he has in his life is with his grown daughter, which runs hot-and-cold.

Like with most mystery writers, Mankell’s stories have a formula, but his is a formula that is not easy to second- guess.  In each of the three movies, Wallander is confronted with two seemingly unrelated crimes, which as the investigations proceed, it turns out that they are actually tied together.

In Sidetracked, for example, a frightened girl incinerates herself as the detective watches helplessly.  Shortly thereafter, several wealthy, politically prominent men are brutally murdered by a serial killer.  The crimes are all interconnected, and it’s Wallander’s job to find out how.

Firewall, an excellent thriller, starts with a teenage girl murdering a taxi driver and winds up with the detective attempting to stop a terrorist plot to destroy the European financial system.

When one of Wallander’s colleagues is murdered in One Step Behind, the detective wonders if the killing is related to a series of killings of young vacationers.

Wearing a three-day beard, Branagh delivers a superb portrayal of the emotionally distressed detective.  The supporting casts, none of which (with the exception of David Warner) are familiar to this writer, are also fine.

The three movies are well-paced and play more like good theatrical films, rather than something made to be seen on television.

Sidetracked  (Disc 1)

Firewall  (Disc 1)

One Step Behind  (Disc 2)

A second season consisting of another three movies is currently airing in the U.K. and should find its way to home video sometime later in 2010.

THE VIDEO

Taking into consideration the semi-documentary filming technique, the 1.78:1 widescreen picture is broadcast sharp.  There are no noticeable flaws.

THE AUDIO

The 5.1 Stereo Sound is fine.  There is no significant problem understanding the British dialects.

THE EXTRAS

Bonus material is located on the second disc:

Who is Kurt Wallander?, Branagh’s Wallander and The Wallander Look are featurettes that delve into the history of the Wallander novels and how this television movie trio came to be. 

Branagh and Mankell Interview is a face-to-face sit down between the star and the creator of the Wallander character.

FINAL THOUGHT

This is a first-rate series with a flawed, everyman hero.  It should please anybody who enjoys a good mystery.