"Wallander" Innan frosten (2005)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Kjell-Åke Andersson

Writers:

Stefan Ahnhem (writer)
Per Berglund (writer)
(more)

TV Series:

"Wallander" (2005)

Original Air Date:

14 January 2005 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Tracking a sadistic killer, detective Kurt Wallander follows a string of incidents -- attacks on domestic animals, ritualistic murders of humans -- with help from his daughter, Linda, a new member of the Ystad police force. |

Plot Keywords:

Police | Murder | Murder Investigation | Gay Wedding | Sect

Cast

Krister Henriksson	...	Kurt Wallander
Johanna Sällström	...	Linda Wallander
Ola Rapace	...	Stefan Lindman
Ellen Mattsson	...	Anna Westin
Niklas Falk	...	Erik Westin
Angela Kovacs	...	Ann-Britt Höglund (as Angela Kovács)
Douglas Johansson	...	Martinsson
Mats Bergman	...	Nyberg
Fredrik Gunnarsson	...	Svartman
Chatarina Larsson	...	Lisa Holgersson
Jens Hultén	...	Torgeir
Karin Bertling	...	Birgitta Medberg
Malena Engström	...	Myran
Maria Arnadottir	...	Malin Krantz
Marianne Mörck	...	Ebba
Siw Erixon	...	Female doctor
Catherine Jeppsson	...	Vanja Medberg
Edvin Ahlgren	...	Felix
Wallis Grahn	...	Obducenten
Rafael Pettersson	...	Jörgen
Sandra Huldt	...	Cecilia
Clas Göran Söllgård	...	Befäl 1 (as Claes-Göran Söllgård)
Jens Olsson	...	Befäl 2
Ola Citron	...	Flyttgubbe 1
Bo Christer Hjelte	...	Flyttgubbe 2 (as Bo-Christer Hjelte)
Eva Hovstadius	...	Prästen
Tommy Pålsson	...	Kyrkovaktmästare
Jesper Åvall	...	Polis
Sven Angleflod	...	Biskop
Anki Lidén	...	Monas röst (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Penti Pirkola	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Thomaz Ransmyr	...	Guest at gay wedding #1 (uncredited)

Directed by
Kjell-Åke Andersson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Stefan Ahnhem		writer
Per Berglund		writer (as Pelle Berglund)
Henning Koch		story development
Henning Mankell		novel

Produced by
Jonas Allen	....	associate producer
Lars Björkman	....	producer
Lasse Bjørkmann	....	producer
Peter Bose	....	executive producer
Ann Collenberg	....	line producer
Jenny Gilbertsson	....	executive producer: TV4
Ralf Ivarsson	....	co-producer
Wolfgang Jurgan	....	co-producer (as Hans-Wolfgang Jurgan)
Søren Stærmose	....	associate producer
Eva Swartz	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Adam Nordén

Cinematography by
Olof Johnson

Film Editing by
Mattias Morheden

Casting by
Maria Bolme
Tusse Lande
Anette Mandoki

Production Design by
Lene Willumsen

Art Direction by
Lene Willumsen

Costume Design by
Gabriella Ekman

Makeup Department
Eva Flamholc	....	makeup artist (as Eva Flamholc Andersen)
Josefine Stackbom	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ann Collenberg	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carin Anzelius	....	second assistant director
Niklas Ohlsson	....	first assistant director
Anna Zackrisson	....	second unit director

Art Department
Helga Bumsch	....	assistant art director
Oscar Hansen	....	property master
Calle Sjölin	....	set dresser
Peder Svensk	....	set dresser
Lars Rickard Wiren	....	property master (as Rickard Wirén)

Sound Department
Anders Degerberg	....	foley artist
Johan Embring	....	sound
Thomas Huhn	....	dialogue editor
Per Nyström	....	sound re-recording mixer
Per Nyström	....	supervising sound editor
Ulf Olausson	....	foley artist
Gábor Pasztor	....	sound re-recording mixer
Pelle Sandberg	....	sound

Special Effects by
Søren Brandmand	....	special effects technician
Søren Skov Haraldsted	....	special effects technician
Hummer Høimark	....	special effects coordinator
Christian Kitter	....	special effects senior technician

Visual Effects by
Bill Shearman	....	Fire/Inferno artist

Stunts
Kimmo Rajala	....	stunt coordinator
Kimmo Rajala	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Björn Becker	....	gaffer
Lars Høgsted	....	still photographer
Kidd Johnson	....	electrician
Lars Karlsson	....	first assistant camera
Morten Kastberg	....	electrician
Martin Klevegård	....	focus puller
Robert Kustosik	....	grip
Mogens Otte	....	gaffer
Malte Udsen	....	Steadicam operator
Daniel Wannberg	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Carin Anzelius	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Molly Björkman	....	costume assistant
Maria Lagerholm	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Tomas Beije	....	assistant editor
Jørgen Christiansen	....	film colorist
Joakim Dahl	....	assistant editor: avid
Pelle Folmer	....	lab post-production coordinator
Jens Kruse	....	negative developer
Bet Schwenn	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Markus Bergkvist	....	music coordinator

Other crew
Marianne Ahrne	....	film consultant: Swedish Film Institute
Lennart Bengtsson	....	location scout
Lisa Eriksdotter	....	script supervisor
Rebecka Kihlberg	....	production coordinator (as Rebecka Strandqvist)
Peter Kimay	....	location manager
Anders Lexne	....	weapons coordinator
Hans Lönnerheden	....	completion bond
Jon Mankell	....	production assistant
Johan Nielsen	....	assistant location manager
Ylva Swedenborg	....	publicist

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Henning Mankell		creator

Production Companies

• Degeto Film
• Film i Skåne
• TV4 Sweden
• Yellow Bird Films

Distributors

• FS Film Oy (2005) (Finland) (theatrical) (DVD) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• SF Film (2005) (Sweden) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Dansk Speciel Effekt Service
• Digital Film Lab

Other Companies

• Europa Post Production  foley studio
• Ljudligan  sound mixing
• Nostromo  avid editing
• Stunts Unlimited  stunts

Also Known As:

"Wallander": Ennen routaa (#1.1) (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

Sweden:93 min

Country:

Sweden | Denmark | Norway | Germany

Language:

Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Norway:15 | Australia:M | Finland:K-15

Filming Locations:

Ystad, Skåne län, Sweden

Company:

Degeto Film

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The movie takes place in a town in Skåne. But only two people in the whole movie speak with a dialect from that area.

Movie Connections:

Spin off from "Mördare utan ansikte" (1994)

Before the frost there was a murder....

The expectations were high for the new Wallander series. The most expensive Scandinavian production - 13 films in total - and a conscious change of style to the previously filmed Wallander films. The first one in the series, Innan frosten, is the only one of the new stories to be based on a book by Henning Mankell. The other 12 are brand new stories, written especially for the films. It is also the first time Rolf Lassgård doesn't play the role of Kurt Wallander, he is replaced here by Krister Henriksson. Despite some of the negative reviews it has received in Sweden, in Finland it has been well accepted. After having seen Innan frosten in its first week in cinemas I am very pleased with the result.

Innan frosten, or Wallander - Innan frosten as it's named in the opening titles, tells the story of a murder investigation in which detective Kurt Wallander (Krister Henriksson, "Reconstruction") tracks down a sadistic killer that seems to have connections to a religious sect. These are people that are ready to burn a flock of swans to death just to get a vignette on their web site, not to mention what they are willing to do to those that are not true believers. To make matters worse for Wallander, his daughter Linda (Johanna Sällström, "Under ytan") graduates from the Police Academy and joins the Ystad police force. Already on her first day she puts herself in a situation that could be life-threatening, something that her father isn't very thrilled about. In resolving the crime they are joined by the new recruit from Stockholm, Stefan Lindman (Ola Rapace, "Tillsammans"), who was the lead character in Danslärarnes återkomst (The Return of the Dancing Master), an another Mankell bestseller.

I think the producers made a terrific choice with casting Krister Henriksson in the role of Wallander. In this story Wallander has lost weight, tries to live better (despite the occasional glass of whiskey) and really tries to be more of a father to his daughter than he's been before. Wallander is older, more calmer and very much different than he's been in the previous films, so I don't think that Lassgård would've done as a good job as Henriksson. Also, the change of the visual output is more like the Beck films with Peter Haber, with the exception of dark city landscapes being replaced by the countryside nature of Ystad.

Wallander - Innan frosten is a well made and very entertaining thriller that keeps you interested throughout the story, although that is something you by now expect from Swedish thrillers. The cast is excellent and live up to their characters. Krister Henriksson's portrayal of Wallander is very solid, and gives high hopes for the ones yet to come. Johanna Sällström is also very reliable as Linda, who might be less experienced but even more eager than most of her colleagues. Of the supporting cast Niklas Falk ("Så som i himmelen") stands out as the leader of the religious sect. His character believes in the holy word, but seems to have a heart of darkness inside him.

Innan frosten (Before the Frost) is well worth to be seen. It's not a classic of its genre but the best of its kind at the moment.

**** 1/2 (4 1/2 out of 5)