Jana - Märkta för livet

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.

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.

This Swedish crime drama is centred on Jana Berzelius, a young woman who is just starting out as an assistant public prosecutor in the town of Norrköping. Her first case proves to be rather personal; Hans Juhlén, the head of the immigration board has been murdered shortly after he had approached her for help. Not just that he helped her get adopted by a prominent family when she was found by the harbour as a child. The investigation will open old wounds and expose decades old secrets.

I thought this was a solid enough addition to the Nordic Noir genre. The story is suitably gripping with some decent twists and turns... as well as quite a few genre clichés. The cast does a solid job bringing their characters to life. I know 'noir' means black but things are often a bit too dark as rooms are under-lit. On the plus side there is plenty of tension, especially towards the end. Talking of the ending; many details are wrapped up but a few are left open suggesting we might get more seasons; if we do I'll certainly be watching. Overall I'd say that this isn't a must see but is still an enjoyable watch.

These comments are based on watching the series in Swedish with English subtitles.

Had this been presented with a more sci-fi slant than it was, I might've found it easier to believe the lead character's strange and somewhat inexplicable actions through the series. Some of the dialogue is also quite stilted or unnatural, where Jana might give a better qualifying answer as to why she couldn't do something with her family at any time or other, her lack of this made her less likeable as a character and her motivations and the cohesiveness of her actions less questionable. Not really giving us any insight into the actual role of a prosecutor in the Swedish judicial system also reduces the believability of her actions throughout. It's not engaging enough to warrant further development because she wasn't likeable enough as a character. Her apartment is also far too fancy for a junior lawyer, regardless of her father's implied wealth and standing. The plot was somewhat far fetched too.

Nonsensical plot, second rate production....what was with all the water at every scene change? Amateurish. Lost count of the holes in the story, more frequent and bigger than our local potholes.

Acting was often clunky and unnatural. My credulity was strained too many times;Jana should have been removed from any investigation early on as she was clearly a disturbed and damaged character. I blame myself for wasting so many hours hoping that it might get better.!

Not deserving of the category scandinoir; please, do not consider making series 2 or more!

There is only so much drivel a person can absorb in one lifetime!