Official
Selection Edinburgh International Film Festival 2001, The Toronto
International Film Festival 2001, Pusan International FIlm Festival
2001, Nominated as BEST Scandinavian Film Year 2000 Gothenburg
International Film Festival, WINNER Best Film, Best Director, Best
Actor at Blackpoint International Film Festival 2002.
The Icelandic Dream (2000)
Thirty-year-old Icelander Toti
has a lot of problems, precipitaing an early mid-life crisis. His
beloved football team have just been relegated to the Second Division,
his 20-year-old girlfriend shows no interest in the sport, and his ex -
also the mother of the daughter who he sees at weekends - is seeing an
American, a people whom Toti despises.
But our hero has one card left
to play. He's the sole importer for Bulgarian Opal cigarettes, known as
the "the energy brand". Who cares if their special properties derive
from an illicit substance?
This remarkably assured debut
feature from Irish-Icelandic writer-director Robert I Douglas is a joy
from start to finish, rarely putting a foot wrong. The writing is
sharp, the performances assured and the command of cinematic language
impressive.
The film is obviously low budget
but, thanks to an appropriation of Dogme and documentary tropes -
handheld camera, naturalistic lighting, jump cuts and direct-to-camera
addresses - any limitations this could have imposed are turned to its
advantage.
Though themes of masculinity in
crisis and strong women/weak men are fast becoming familiar ones in
Icelandic cinema, The Icelandic Dream elsewhere departs from the
nascent conventions. There are no touristy images of harsh yet
beautiful landscapes here, only a grey, wet, urbanised anonymity.
I sincerely hope that going
against the grain here doesn't damage the film's box office potential
outwith its homeland, where it has been a deserved smash.
Review from IO Film, UK.
Starring:
Thor Sverrisson, Matt Keeslar, Hafdis Huld,
Laufey Bra, Jon Gnarr, Gunnar Eyjolfsson
for further information:
for sales and screening information:
