Jana - Märkta för livet

I watched it all and more fool me.

Just the premisses we are expected to swallow are unbelievable. Chief prosecutors break the law, eminent psychiatrists prescribe illegal medicines, trainee prosecutors break into private and commercial properties. All this is against a backdrop of a Svengali figure training and controlling an army of Bene Gesserit-like fighting children.

One might say these kids were hidden in plain sight but their base is just about the most ridiculous one imaginable. Where would their food have come from in this industrial wasteland?

Contrived climaxes and discoveries abound. There's no actual detective work at all. Lucky coincidences lead to the next episode of ridiculousness. Horrifyingly, there's a semi cliffhanger at the end. We might be subjected to more of this nonsense.

When a high-ranking head of the Swedish Migration Agency is found murdered in his home, the list of suspects is long. As assistant prosecutor, Jana Berzelius steps into the investigation. She is young and brilliant but struggles against terrible nightmares due to her childhood as a war refugee. When the suspect's body is found, Jana recognizes something on his scarred body. The further into the investigation she gets, the more she realizes that it has to do with herself. Sometimes I can feel that the filming feels too dark. Don't know if it's deliberate but it feels barren? The acting from Johan Ulveson is not good at all. Reacted several times already in the first episode that he acts like a beginner in front of the camera! The series is not the best I've seen, but not the worst either. Like that..

Jana Markta för livet is basically about facing the ghosts of the past. It is based on the first book of Emeli Schepp's Jana Berzelius novels. Jana Berzelius is the leading character portrayed by Swedish actress Madeleine Martin. I liked the way how Madeleine Martin is acting and she does not make you irritated. Norrköping is beautiful and it is fascinating to watch the dark atmosphere. August Wittgenstein is great as usual. His performance was great at the Das Boot series. Although there are some plot holes, the series is worth watching. I assume that there may be a second season. I will certainly watch it. Finally, I do not think that Madeline Martin needs too much makeup. They should reserve her natural beauty.

It's billed as a ( sort of ) detective series ? It's absolutely nothing of the sort ! What annoyed me the most ( there is a lot of it that's annoying, sadly ) Is the lighting , the direction around it and a lot of mumbled dialogue . It tries from the very outset to be edgy and atmospheric, but fails lamentably . The acting is some of the poorest I've seen in an age ; Madeleine Martin ( try as she might ) is no Sofie Grabol , not even close and there are several other peripheral characters who are just as inept . Will we ever get another fantastic Scandi noir again ? The days of The Bridge and The Killing seem very distant indeed.

This was a good thriller for the first five episodes but I am afraid it degenerated into complete nonsense in the sixth and final episode. Very disappointing. The plot reveal was nonsense.

The actual film for the most part was far too dark. It was extremely difficult to see what was happening. I even had to try and adjust the brightness on the TV.

A lot of holes in the plot regarding the actions of the eponymous Jana and the police.

Familiar faces - Johan Ulvesen (Bonus Family and The Truth Will Out), Fredrik Hallgren (Bonus Family), Suzanne Reuter (The Restaurant).

Madeleine Martin was good in the title role.