IN SWEDISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES Rough. Raw. Real. This is the world of Arne Dahl, whose crime novels have been transposed to the screen in adaptations that follow the dramatic tradition of all best-selling Scandinavian thrillers. This series from the writers and producers of The Martin Beck Series revolves around cases taken on by the 'A' Unit, an elite force of officers recruited after a series of assassinations rocks Stockholm's high society. The detectives have been hand-picked by police commander Jenny Hultin, who intentionally gathers people from different backgrounds with very different strengths. Viggo Norlander could be considered over the hill, Kerstin Holm is the only woman on the unit, Paul Hjelm is on probation for excessive force, Gunnar Nyberg is a strong giant, Jorge Chavez is a multi-lingual genius, and Aarto Söderstedt is a lawyer who used to defend white-collar criminals. They're all flawed, but together they make the perfect team. The crimes they solve are brutal and sometimes horrifying, but always sophisticated, with complex riddles and cunning perpetrators from all levels of society. The cases require specialized input from everyone in the unit. Imagination complements experience and brawn has to be on a level with brains. During the long hours together, they expose their inner truths to each other. This can lead to friction, but also to friendship - and in the case of two of the officers - to more. The cases bring them all into a race against time that they only sometimes win. Realistic and intense, Arne Dahl brings you the darker side of Swedish entertainment.
B**R
Long episodes but interesting team
Each of the 5 disks contain a two part episode, and each part is 90 minutes long. For binge watchers, this doesn't represent any problems, but for me I only watch one part of an episode on one day, and the next part another time. While the team at first seemed disjointed, I quickly warmed up to the characters. It doesn't make sense to compare this series to The Killing or The Bridge; if that's what you're looking for, don't purchase these. However, if you want very well acted police procedurals and a diverse team of experts, then give this series a try. These dramas are not fast-moving, and while they are suspenseful, they won't keep you on the edge of your seat. Rather than focusing on one really strong character as The Killing or The Bridge, you get to know a team that has been pulled together by Commander Jenny Hultin, an older female officer. It takes time for the team to gel, but they do, and the rewards are great if you stay with them through five, two-part stories.
O**N
If Arne Dahl were a restaurant…
…my review would be: mediocre food; generous portions.I’m a big fan or Scandinavian mystery/police-procedural films and series – I believe that I’ve seen most that are available to audiences in the US – and I put Arne Dahl at the bottom of my list. The basis of this opinion is the stories, which I found to be naïve and unbelievable (either the series’ creator had no real understanding of the subject matter or he assumed that the audience would not). Add to that, uninteresting forays into the personal lives of the team members (none of whom is particularly memorable), and you have a series that pales in comparison to Wallander, Beck, or any of a dozen other Scandinavian series. On the other hand, the episodes are long.
C**.
The Swedish do it again!
I've enjoyed many Swedish mystery and crime series so decided to give this one a try, and I'm sure glad I did! This is ranked right up there at the top. I like that there is a small core group of police officers who solve some of the worse crimes in Sweden. The interaction among the different people is interesting and develops as the stories progress. There are 5 DVD discs and each tells one story in two parts. We not only see how cleverly each officer works to imprint his/her contribution towards solving the crime, but we also see how the characters' various personalities and personal lives are gradually revealed in each story so that we come to care for them all as a unit. They are called the A-unit, and they certainly are an "A" in my grading system. I highly recommend this series and can hardly wait for more to come.
R**N
Intelligent Swedish Crime Series
I'm on a total International Crime Thriller binge, at the moment, and I find that this is one of my favorites. Where something like Braquo is really a corrupt cop drama, like The Shield, and where Spirals (Engrenages) can be a comedy of errors, Arne Dahl is more about intelligent policing and working the case with a cast of quirky characters. Unlike Ørnen / The Eagle (which, at times, shows its age) the unit in question, A Gruppen (A Unit), feels more like a team. They are no supercops here, but humans, with human problems, who are good at their jobs (and perhaps good at nothing else).I'm putting this up there with my Scandinavian series like Dicte and Annika Bengtzon, and more consistent than Wallander, for me.
C**D
A Bad Presentation of a Good Book
I purchased this after having read the book. Th e director cut the music that made Misterioso mysterious. Read the book.
L**S
This was an excellent series. The thing is one must enjoy the ...
This was an excellent series. The thing is one must enjoy the Scandinavian shows as they are very different. This, The Eagle, and Borgen which is the alltime best
C**L
What a great series! This series is comprised of great acting
Wow! What a great series! This series is comprised of great acting, great writing, great stories and great cinematography. I can't say enough about how impressed I am with this first season of Arne Dahl. This series contains very real stories and intimate views of each character's lives. Just when you think I got it figured out, there was always a twist. I highly recommend this series to anyone interested in Scandinavian murder mystery series.
J**A
very bland mystery show no comparison to wallander or the ...
very bland mystery show no comparison to wallander or the bridge or the eagle
M**D
First class
Brilliant film - so different from the second rate US and British product. The main difference I like after the story which is superior to most US/Brit films is that they do not find it necessary to have 'dramatic' music and/or sound effects - which in most cases are far louder than the dialogue making it almost impossible to hear said dialogue.Going back to the story I find it excellent the plot's well written - made more realistic due to the fact that the actors and actresses are look like normal people - no large silicon enhanced chests and glaring white teeth on the women (what could look more un-natural) and no really effeminite looking men (for the female audience to admire).Highly recommended I shall be buying more of these Arne Dahl films
R**Y
ESSENTIAL VIEWING
THE INTRICATE AND CLEVERLY-CRAFTED, INTER-TWINING STORY LINES TOGETHER WITH THE DEPTH AND DETAIL IN THE CREATION OF THE ENGAGING CHARACTERS - UNFOLDING LAYER BY LAYER - MAKE THIS A COMPELLING WATCH. FEELING SLIGHTLY LEFT OUT HAVING NOT WATCHED THE PREVIOUS SCANDINAVIAN OFFERING OF A SIMILAR STYLE WAS KEEN NOT TO KID MYSELF INTO LIKING ARNE DAHL JUST FOR THE SAKE OF IT. I DIDN'T NEED TO AS IT OF AN EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY AND HUGELY ENJOYABLE.
G**N
I recommend to everyone
brilliant. I am so pleased I bought the set of Arne Dahl dvd's and recommend them to all crime fans
S**A
Five Stars
great product
M**E
A Good Detective With Good Cases
Arne Dahl has some very interesting episodes but the trouble is, after one sees Krister Hendricksson's Wallander, nothing else can touch it. If I'd never seen Wallander, I think I would've liked Arne Dahl better. Sorry Arne.
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