DVD Corner

Falcón DVD Review

“Falcón” is different than your average procedural.

Based on the books by author Robert Wilson, “Falcón” is a 4 episode series comprised of 2 two part stories titled “The Blind Man Of Seville” and “The Silent And The Damned.” The series, which is set in Seville, Spain, revolves around Inspector Jefe Javier Falcón as he takes on cases on dark and disturbing cases. In ‘Blind,’ there a multitude of stories involving a tortured and murdered restaurant owner, a sick killer on the loose, and  Falcón’s late famed artist father (who may or may not be connected to the murder case), and Falcón’s nephew. In ‘Silent,’ which is set three months after ‘Blind,’ Falcón returns to duty to investigate the apparent suicide of a businessman. Mysteriously, he is soon placed on another case that may or may not be connected to the previous one. To say any more would be spoiling the plot twists, but suffice to say, corruption of some sort is involved.

Having seen a countless number of procedurals over the years, it’s no secret that the genre can become stale and routine with so many shows that feel all too familiar to hit procedurals on the air. Thankfully, “Falcón” is a very sophisticated and dark procedural with a different sort of main character. Falcón, who is portrayed by New Zealand genre actor Martin Csokas, is a flawed, tortured, dedicated and cold Inspector. He’s not some super know it all nor is he sarcastic or witty. He’s a very deep and introspective character who becomes involved in the seedy underworld of the seemingly picturesque city of Seville. Of course, Csokas is not the only interesting character here as he is backed by an impressive supporting cast that includes the stunning Hayley Atwell (who recently wowed audiences in “Captain America: The First Avenger”), Bernard Hill  (King Theoden from the “Lord of the Rings” films), Natalia Tena (Osha from “Game of Thrones”), and even Rosie Perez. The supporting cast certainly takes a backseat to “Falcón,” but their presence certainly benefits the show overall.

As engaging as the series can be, it’s not without its faults. The biggest distraction here is the jarring editing which really hampers the story at times. I know they’re trying to go for a modern style, but it comes off as sloppy and artsy fartsy. Additionally, the series second episode (“The Silent and the Damned”) never quite lives up to ‘Blind’ due to a muddled and somewhat confusing storyline.

Video/Audio:

The series, which is presented in widescreen, is very stylish looking. The incredibly picturesque Spain locals don’t hurt either.

Between the eerie music and the crisp dialogue, the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track delivers.

Extras:
* “The Blind Man Of Seville” and “The Silent And The Damned” photo galleries (not a still gallery).
* “The Blind Man Of Seville: Behind The Scenes”- Author Robert Wilson and cast and crew members talk about the city of Seville, the character of Falcón, the story, etc.
* “Javier Falcón: Behind The Man”- A short featurette on the character.
* Falcón’s Seville With Robert Wilson”- The author talks about Seville as a place and a character in his story essentially.
* Acorn trailers.

Summary: It’s not clear if there will be more episodes on the horizon, but it would be nice if the show continued. While there are flaws to be sure, “Falcón” is still a refreshingly dark and unique procedural that will appeal to fans of this genre.

August 18, 2013 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | Falcón DVD Review, Hayley Atwell, Martin Csokas