WALLANDER: A LESSON IN LOVE
UK, 2015, 90 minutes, Colour.
Kenneth Branagh, Kitty Peterkin, Jeany Spark, Harry Hadden- Paton, Terrence Hardiman, Barnaby Kay, Cecile Anckarswald, Clive Wood, Hugh Mitchell.
Directed by Benjamin Caron.
Kenneth Branagh appeared in three series of Wallander television films. This is the second of three in the final series. Wallander returns from African and this story is set in Sweden and the expected settings.
At the beginning of the film, Wallander is mugged in the public square by Bikies – which leads into a theme of bikies, a dead woman who owned property where they lived, wanting to oust them, is found dead. There are the regular investigations but there is a shift in emphasis away from the victim as sympathetic – she is not – and more sympathy to the daughter who has struggled with her mother and a knife.
There are complications about the daughter, her being fostered out, her mother forbidding her to make contact with the foster parents, visit from a foster brother, the discovery of letters, clash with the mother, her death – and the son of the bikie leader in love with the girl and protecting her.
There are some family scenes with Wallander and his daughter and, especially, very playful scenes with his granddaughter. There is also an encounter with the father of his son-in-law and a visit to his home for a party. And Wallander has a relationship with a pianist.
One of the concerns is Wallander’s health – which will lead into the final film in the series.
1. Wallander growing older, unwell? A murder mystery, his investigation, his team? His relationship with his daughter, granddaughter, the in-laws?
2. The settings in Sweden, the city, the nursing home, the fields, the bikie centre, homes? The musical score?
3. The title? Indicating a twist in the theme?
4. Kenneth Branagh is Wallander? Age, experience, long years in the police? The good relationship with his daughter? The humorous scenes and play with his granddaughter, taking her out, the phone calls, at home? His son-in-law? The son-in-law’s father, the invitation to the party, his going, the gift of his father’s painting, the conversation?
5. His relationship with the pianist, the past, her visiting, staying with him, the meal, the relationship? The concert, Linda present? The pianist leaving?
6. The woman missing from the nursing home, the search, finding her, her pointing to the dead body? The identification? The story? Her dead husband? Her daughter and her disappearance?
7. Wallander, being bashed and mugged by the bikie group? The news about the group, his going to the premises, the antagonistic conversation with the leader? His punching Wallander? His concern about his son? Being taken in? The son, the interrogations, silent? The information about his relationship with the missing girl? His gradually telling the truth?
8. The police, investigations, the search of the bikie premises? The finding of the knife?
9. Wallander, dizzy spells, lack of concentration, blanking out? Visit to the doctor, the biopsy? The scan? His being called to the doctor for more information?
10. The murder victim, revelations about her, an angry woman, cantankerous with the bikies, wanting to oust them, legal action, Wallander visiting her lawyer and getting the truth? Her husband dying of heart attack?
11. The daughter, fostered, no contact with the foster parents, Wallander interviewing them, the other fostered son, his coming forward, the letters, discovering that her mother would not let her contact the foster parents, her being upset, receiving the letter from the foster brother?
12. Pontus, his being interviewed, his father’s concern, his relationship with Rita, Wallander driving, picking her up, not recognising her, the stop, his realisation, her running away, pursuing her, the truth, Pontus protecting her, hiding the knife?
13. The resolution of the mystery – and the shift from sympathy to antipathy towards the victim, concerned about the daughter and the clash with her mother?
14. And concern about Wallander’s health?
