Scandi noir/drama recommendations/discussion

Pancho said:
Spin on channel 4 on Friday nights is also worth a watch.

Some interesting plot swerves and a number of attractive and reasonably believable characters.

However it's French so the interior design is less scandi minimalist and more trompe-something-or-other, but as you'd expect the couture is extremely haute.
Click to expand...

is it called spin? or spiral? i might give this ago.

i've become a bit snooty with my foreign viewing - or more specifically the subtitles... ive somehow in the last few years (without learning the languages) learnt how to watch a lot of scandi stuff without specifically paying attention to the subtitles and going off what's being said... one example was a kodi copy of headhunters, subtitles were spot on, except it was dubbed into russian, rather than the scandi danish\swedish it was originally in... i couldnt get away with it , i know it was just reading subtitles but i couldnt get away with it... and it reminded me that i found the french series spiral was slightly similar...
 


errant said:
is it called spin? or spiral? i might give this ago.

i've become a bit snooty with my foreign viewing - or more specifically the subtitles... ive somehow in the last few years (without learning the languages) learnt how to watch a lot of scandi stuff without specifically paying attention to the subtitles and going off what's being said... one example was a kodi copy of headhunters, subtitles were spot on, except it was dubbed into russian, rather than the scandi danish\swedish it was originally in... i couldnt get away with it , i know it was just reading subtitles but i couldnt get away with it... and it reminded me that i found the french series spiral was slightly similar...
Click to expand...


The series I'm referring to is called Spin. It's a French political drama with English subtitles.

Spiral is a different animal altogether. That's a crime series - I think there's been 4 up to now - again French with English subtitles, also set in Paris but this time about a slightly shambolic, semi-dysfunctional serious crime squad (and the strange French judiciary system) trying to solve increasingly gruesome murders whilst demonstrating only a passing interest in personal hygiene. The lead female detective Laure Berthaud makes Sarah Lund seem positively fragrant and glamorous.

Spiral is beautifully shot, moves along at a cracking pace, is very atmospheric and very, very graphic in places, but for me it's probably the most enjoyable non-scandi drama.

See also Braquo which is similar to Spiral but more morally ambiguous. Not sure about their personal hygiene though.
 
errant said:
this was a miss for me sadly... i didnt quite get it, the story didnt go anywhere and the conclusion wasn't really up to much - plus they telegraphed the consequences of the daughters new found love that it wasnt as upsetting as it should have been, if that makes sense?

as i was watching it, i got the feeling that if you lived in Scandinavia, especially in the 70s it would mean more to you - perhaps some things can be lost in translation?
Click to expand...
Yeah I get what you mean. Family dynamics is less interesting than a load of murders too.
Just been to the Tyneside to see a film and saw an advert for Carlsberg with Mads in it. Looked great.
@alexander do you get this or is it not for the Danish/Scandi market?
 
Son of Stan said:
Yeah I get what you mean. Family dynamics is less interesting than a load of murders too.
Just been to the Tyneside to see a film and saw an advert for Carlsberg with Mads in it. Looked great.
@alexander do you get this or is it not for the Danish/Scandi market?
Click to expand...

Carlsberg Export or the advert ? We don't get Export here (our plain, standard Carlsberg is 4.6% anyway. We get Carlsberg Elephant and Carlsberg Masterbrew though. @Dave Herbal and @Sneech could tell you how nice they are. :lol:). And am afraid I haven't been to the movie theatre for a while but can't say I have come across the advert before. It does look like it is more aimed at people from abroad though.

In a similar way, did you watch the episode of Rick Stein's Long Week-ends last Autumn from Copenhagen (episode seven) ? I loved him on the bicycle and the places he went to. And also that he prefers traditional, Danish food over the fussy New Nordic stuff. Though nan would have been right onto him had she seen him use flat leaf parsley instead of curley parsley for our national dish. But he meets Sofie Gråbøl and they go to her local pub for a drink and a chat. Oddly enough he mentions our furniture in Danish telly series as well. So you are not alone. :lol:
 
alexander said:
Carlsberg Export or the advert ? We don't get Export here (our plain, standard Carlsberg is 4.6% anyway. We get Carlsberg Elephant and Carlsberg Masterbrew though. @Dave Herbal and @Sneech could tell you how nice they are. :lol:). And am afraid I haven't been to the movie theatre for a while but can't say I have come across the advert before. It does look like it is more aimed at people from abroad though.

In a similar way, did you watch the episode of Rick Stein's Long Week-ends last Autumn from Copenhagen (episode seven) ? I loved him on the bicycle and the places he went to. And also that he prefers traditional, Danish food over the fussy New Nordic stuff. Though nan would have been right onto him had she seen him use flat leaf parsley instead of curley parsley for our national dish. But he meets Sofie Gråbøl and they go to her local pub for a drink and a chat. Oddly enough he mentions our furniture in Danish telly series as well. So you are not alone. :lol:
Click to expand...
The advert man! :rolleyes: I got the impression it wasn't for the home audience. It looked gorgeous on a big screen I must say. I don't watch a lot of Rick Stein as I associate him with fish mainly and I'm not fussed on fish. :lol: But I may have to go on you tube and see if I can find that episode. I always like to hear the likes of Sofie, Sidse, and Sofia speaking English as they always sound different - the same with men too.
 
Son of Stan said:
The advert man! :rolleyes: I got the impression it wasn't for the home audience. It looked gorgeous on a big screen I must say. I don't watch a lot of Rick Stein as I associate him with fish mainly and I'm not fussed on fish. :lol: But I may have to go on you tube and see if I can find that episode. I always like to hear the likes of Sofie, Sidse, and Sofia speaking English as they always sound different - the same with men too.
Click to expand...

Different in what way ? Apart from speaking another language. Don't think there is much difference between the way I speak Danish and other languages. I speak a bit low (for some reason people are always surprised by that) and mumble my words regardless. :lol:
 
alexander said:
Different in what way ? Apart from speaking another language. Don't think there is much difference between the way I speak Danish and other languages. I speak a bit low (for some reason people are always surprised by that) and mumble my words regardless. :lol:
Click to expand...
I think it's something to do with the tone. I noticed it when I saw Krister Henriksson speaking English - his voice was much higher. And the same seems to apply to the women too. Everyone's voice is deeper in their natural accent, so it seems to me. I'm sure it's not an exact science. :lol:
 
Son of Stan said:
I think it's something to do with the tone. I noticed it when I saw Krister Henriksson speaking English - his voice was much higher. And the same seems to apply to the women too. Everyone's voice is deeper in their natural accent, so it seems to me. I'm sure it's not an exact science. :lol:
Click to expand...

:lol: It probably will be in years to come.

By low I didn't mean Barry White low but low as in not very loud.
 
Son of Stan said:
:lol: Oh well I'd never hear a thing you say - I'm a bit deaf in one ear due to loud tinnitus. So I either say 'what?' or just nod and smile. :lol:
Click to expand...

We should all have a gathering and chat about Scandi dramas some day. To identify each other we could all wear something wonderfully old-fashioned. Will leave it up to folks what they come up with but I will wear a monocle with a string if you bring one of these. :)

Logon or register to see this image


The Gathering.

Even has a slight Scandi drama feel to it.
 
alexander said:
We should all have a gathering and chat about Scandi dramas some day. To identify each other we could all wear something wonderfully old-fashioned. Will leave it up to folks what they come up with but I will wear a monocle with a string if you bring one of these. :)

Logon or register to see this image


The Gathering.

Even has a slight Scandi drama feel to it.
Click to expand...
Wonderful idea. Who's playing you in the film version? Not sure I can oblige with the ear trumpet! And with my luck I'll end up being the murder victim! :lol:
 
Son of Stan said:
Wonderful idea. Who's playing you in the film version? Not sure I can oblige with the ear trumpet! And with my luck I'll end up being the murder victim! :lol:
Click to expand...

:lol: Nah, you will be one of the long-running characters in all three series. The boss back at HQ or something. Like a Scandi version of Dame Judi Dench in James Bond.

The trumpet may be the murder weapon, mind. And since it belongs to you your fingerprints will be all over it. :lol:
 
Last edited:
alexander said:
:lol: Nah, you will be one of the long-running characters in all three series. The boss back at HQ or something. Like a Scandi version of Dame Judi Dench in James Bond.

The trumpet may be the murder weapon, mind. And since it belongs to you your fingerprints will be all over it. :lol:
Click to expand...
I like Judi Dench - and contrary to popular belief on here I'm not quite as old. :lol: More like Juliette Binoche...with a killer cleavage. (Not that that would be the murder weapon!) :lol:
 
Son of Stan said:
I don't watch a lot of Rick Stein as I associate him with fish mainly and I'm not fussed on fish. :lol: But I may have to go on you tube and see if I can find that episode.
Click to expand...
i watched the copenhagen one and loved it, ended up watching the entire series... like you i assume he's a fish person, but its nothing like that... the places he visits look wonderful, the streetfood venue on the freetown side of the city is on my to do list for the next visit. i'll give noma a swerve though.

Son of Stan said:
I always like to hear the likes of Sofie, Sidse, and Sofia speaking English as they always sound different
Click to expand...

totally agree - there is a difference - especially sidse... i'd say her english was a touch lower & deeper than danish - although she speaks french too (i've got a french film with her him to watch, will report back :) ).

alexander said:
Different in what way ? Apart from speaking another language. Don't think there is much difference between the way I speak Danish and other languages.
Click to expand...

my guilty secret :oops: - episodes of borgen when sidse shifts into spoken english are called my knee trembler episodes - she could read the telephone directory in english and i'd be the happiest man alive... :lol:
 
There'll be less of this available ower here in tv and book form after brexit according to the guardian last week. Tariffs etc so make the most of it while you can. Stockpile it.

I prefer yer classic US cri-fi and fillum noir and neo noir mesel. Chandler, MacDonald, Ellroy, Leonard, Estleman, Crumley etc etc. Though Scandinavia stuff has its moments.
What interests me is who translates the books? Do the Scandinavian novelists themselves write em in both forrin and English or does a native Brit translate em or a Scandinavian? Do they wait until ones a domestic hit before having em translated for international release or do they get translated on completion and prior to domestic release? Obviously there's a back catalogue responsible for the current glut in airport bookshops.
There's a noir murder story somewhere in the goings on reqd in my last paragraph surely?
 
riffraff said:
There'll be less of this available ower here in tv and book form after brexit according to the guardian last week. Tariffs etc so make the most of it while you can. Stockpile it.

I prefer yer classic US cri-fi and fillum noir and neo noir mesel. Chandler, MacDonald, Ellroy, Leonard, Estleman, Crumley etc etc. Though Scandinavia stuff has its moments.
What interests me is who translates the books? Do the Scandinavian novelists themselves write em in both forrin and English or does a native Brit translate em or a Scandinavian? Do they wait until ones a domestic hit before having em translated for international release or do they get translated on completion and prior to domestic release? Obviously there's a back catalogue responsible for the current glut in airport bookshops.
There's a noir murder story somewhere in the goings on reqd in my last paragraph surely?
Click to expand...
Re Scandi crime novels there's sometimes an acknowledgement to the translator on one of the front pages. And now you mentioned noir and books...I'm thinking of that rather good scene with Humphrey Bogart and Dorothy Malone in The Big Sleep. :lol:
 
Gidseltagningen has finished and is worth a watch. Mercur has finished as well but I reckon it will be too Danish to get much recognition outside Scandinavia.

Movie wise this one here opens in theatres next month. Couldn't find a clip with English subtitles am afraid but it looks alright and is based on a true story. The keen viewer of all things Scandi will recognise a few faces.


Summer is usually only reruns on Danish telly but the Autumn looks interesting for fresh series.
 
A couple more new movie releases, these have English subtitles.



And not strickly Scandi but @Son of Stan will like this one:


Oh, and before I forget. The Bridge 4 now has a premiere date of 1st January 2018. So keep an eye out for the UK date hopefully shortly after. :)
 
Last edited:

Back
Top