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This movie checks off all the right boxes: it’s set in Iceland and filmed in black and white, it’s a unique road trip story in an unexpected location, and it includes a lovable dog and characters who knit. What’s not to adore? If there were also cats and Ian McShane as a supporting actor, it would have earned a perfect rating.
Hilmar Oddsson, the writer and director, doesn’t have to cater to specific preferences because it is evident that he is experienced in creating this bittersweet comedy-drama. The film skillfully balances between different emotional tones with long, slow shots that enhance the melancholic atmosphere. At the same time, there is a hint of humor woven into the frame, but it all depends on the timing.
This location is undoubtedly present, thanks to both Oddsson and his talented actors. Thröstur Leó Gunnarsson portrays Jon, a solitary farmer residing in a remote area of Iceland. In fact, the farm is so isolated that the only way to access it is by boat. Jon is a single man in his middle years who lives with his widowed mother, Kristbjörg Kjeld, and their lively sheepdog Bresneff (played by Dreki, a well-behaved dog indeed). Jon and his mother knit sweaters using sturdy, bulk-weight lopi wool, which they sell through a nearby cooperative. The story takes place in the 1970s or 80s, a time when there was no internet or television, and the only form of media is a cassette recording of old news bulletins that the boatman brings when collecting the finished sweaters.
After Mamma’s death, Jon feels a sense of responsibility to fulfill her final wishes. He dresses her body in her best clothes, applies heavy makeup, and drives her to the town where she was born on the opposite side of Iceland for burial. Bresneff joins him on the journey, sitting in the front seat while Mamma’s body is secured in the back of his Ford Cortina, giving the appearance of being asleep. Even though she is deceased, Mamma still communicates with Jon, offering her opinions on his life choices, such as his past relationship with a woman named Bergdis (played by Hera Hilmar). While on the road, Jon begins to hallucinate seeing Bergdis in every woman with long hair, and this causes him to slowly open up to the strangers he meets along the way.
The use of comic elements in the film is reminiscent of the works of Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismaki, particularly in the deadpan utilization of music. Yet, it is also distinctly Icelandic, showcasing the awe-inspiring open spaces of the landscape. It is refreshing to see Iceland represented as its own unique location, rather than constantly being used as a substitute for other fictional or real places (such as Alaska in the recent season of True Detective).
Source: theguardian.com
