TIFF19 REVIEW: Héraðið [The County] [2019]

My tank was full. The devolution of a worker-owned entity into that which it was formed to combat probably occurs much faster than you’d expect. Things initially work like they should with successful profits and happy members. The establishment itself is also pleased because it sees little threat of anyone going outside its economic reach when the whole point of forming it was to get out from under the exorbitant costs of external resources. Vote an incoming director with greed in his/her heart that sees how good things are, however,…

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TIFF18 REVIEW: Lof mér að falla [Let Me Fall] [2018]

Then you’ll get the kick. Films about addiction can be tough to endure depending on how authentically harrowing the experience is drawn. They can only end in one of two ways: death or sobriety. The former can be literal or figurative depending on how deep the drug of choice has its claws fastened and the latter can often be shown as a victory rather than a small step in a series of steps that will go on forever. A character’s journey is therefore always repetitive since reaching bottom before the…

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REVIEW: Undir trénu [Under the Tree] [2017]

See how they react. If humans weren’t always the pettiest creatures on Earth, we’ve definitely earned the title this past century. Just think about how often you find yourself asking the question, “Let’s see what they’ll do about this?” I don’t mean hypothetically either. I’m talking about truly contemplating your next smugly biting (until an inevitable escalation leads you towards unforgivably heinous) act of vengeance to counter whatever your latest opponent in life has delivered. Eventually we forget how our duel began because our desperation to achieve a win proves…

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TIFF17 REVIEW: Svanurinn [The Swan] [2017]

“You were so good when you were little” What once was a traditional rite of passage for Icelandic children has now become punishment. Whereas her mother probably visited her Aunt Ólöf’s (Katla M. Þorgeirsdóttir) farmland to learn responsibility and work ethic away from the allure of her ocean-side city, young Sól (Gríma Valsdóttir) makes the trek as penance for shoplifting—itself a byproduct more or less attributed to her life’s upheaval upon her parents’ separation. Gone are her friends (although she states she has few), her sisters, her mother (besides the…

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REVIEW: Sigur Rós – Heima [2007]

“Joining the soul of Icelandic society” Simply breathtaking. For a band as atmospheric and deep as Sigur Rós, one could not think of any natural visions worthy to accompany the music. It ends up, though, that you don’t have to look too far after all. Just take some time to see the beauty and infinite space right in their own home of Iceland. This documentary, Heima, shows the world one of the last untouched visages in existence. The island country is exotic and devoid of pollution of nature and man.…

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