Take a leading British actor with a knighthood, put him in moody detective thriller, move the action to South Africa, and there you have ... a major disappointment.
Compared to the Swedish original television series, when Ralf Lassgard played the detective as an overweight, moody personality, who often vented his frustrations on possible suspects, Branagh cuts an anodyne figure. He is frequently photographed in close-up looking worried, but we never know really why he should feel like this.
The plot is pretty unmemorable, with a denouement that can be most charitably described as implausible. Definitely not worth wasting an hour and a half on.
Compared to the Swedish original television series, when Ralf Lassgard played the detective as an overweight, moody personality, who often vented his frustrations on possible suspects, Branagh cuts an anodyne figure. He is frequently photographed in close-up looking worried, but we never know really why he should feel like this.
The plot is pretty unmemorable, with a denouement that can be most charitably described as implausible. Definitely not worth wasting an hour and a half on.