Firewall (17 May 2009)

Eighteen-year-old Sonia admits to the vicious knifing and robbery of a taxi-driver, but she is an unhelpful interviewee, claiming 'it doesn't matter anymore', before escaping custody during... See full summary »

Director:

Niall MacCormick

Writers:

Richard McBrien, Richard Cottan,

Stars:

Kenneth Branagh, Sarah Smart, Sadie Shimmin

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Kenneth Branagh	...	Kurt Wallander
Sarah Smart	...	Anne-Britt Hoglund
Sadie Shimmin	...	Lisa Holgersson
Tom Beard	...	Svedberg
Tom Hiddleston	...	Martinsson
Richard McCabe	...	Nyberg
Jeany Spark	...	Linda Wallander
Orla Brady	...	Ella Lindfeldt
Susannah Fielding	...	Sonja Hokberg
Angela Terence	...	Eva Persson
Ysobel Gonzalez	...	Eva's Mother
Guy Henry	...	Erik Hokberg
Rebecca Egan	...	Susana Hokberg
Christian Roe	...	Jonas Landahl
Annabel Mullion	...	Marianne Falk

Storyline

Eighteen-year-old Sonia admits to the vicious knifing and robbery of a taxi-driver, but she is an unhelpful interviewee, claiming 'it doesn't matter anymore', before escaping custody during a power cut. Next day her dead body is discovered. The police must also investigate the bizarre demise of Mr. Falk, a physically perfect 47-year-old specimen, who nonetheless dropped down dead in the street. To add to the mystery, his corpse is stolen - from the mortuary slab next to Sonia's - and later found with the hands and feet removed. Sonia's father tells Wallander that she was raped three years earlier but her attacker escaped justice due to a false alibi given by his father - the taxi-driver she murdered. Wallander's belief that the cases are connected is justified when a search of Falk's office reveals a computer set-up identical to that of Sonia's boyfriend, who is the next victim. In fact, all three murder victims are shown to be misguided idealists, members of a cell out to cripple the...

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Plot Keywords:

computer | police | murder | hacking | tv mini series

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 May 2009 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Ystad, Skåne län, Sweden

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Scotland, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Degeto Film

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Wallander's mobile phone changes phone language several times during the film, from english to swedish, and the other way around.

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Connections

Version of Brandvägg (2006)

User Reviews

Great Acting, Swedish Backgrounds Make Up For Weak Plot

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.