Svartur á leik

Black's Game is worth watching because there are a couple of twists without which it would be just another crime thriller.

Apart from a few landmarks you won't see much of Iceland in the movie. This makes the setting more universal. And since there's a high probability you'll watch it dubbed in another language it might appear to be happening in any Scandinavian country.

The classic story of a main protagonist meeting an old friend who leads him to life of crime is more plausible if you remember that they're both in a small community on a remote island with limited competition. Therefore the ascent to the top is swift but it would be a surprise if the authorities won't react accordingly fast...

After spending a night in the cells for a violent encounter, a young guy called Stebbi (Thor Kristjansson) bumps into an old school friend Tóti (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson). The latter is now a gangster and he invites Stebbi into his world. Things become more complicated, however, when they join forces with a psychotic gangster called Bruno (Damon Younger). They take over the territory of the old-guard and set up a complex drug trafficking system but things begin to spiral out of control.

Pusher and Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn is the executive producer here. Black's Game is a film that does show his influence. It's a stylish crime-thriller with a prominent electronica soundtrack. It's based on a best-selling novel and it includes re-enactments of some real events. Set in the last days of the 20th century, its historical setting is intended to reflect the growth of the Icelandic crime underworld at the turn of the millennium. In many ways it's a fairly routine crime film, what really makes it distinctive is its Icelandic flavour. The dramatic landscape and the cultural details set this gangster flick apart from others. Otherwise it uses lots of stylistic touches now familiar to the genre like split-screen, slow motion and jump-cuts, although these are always quite welcome and they are well done here. As you might also expect for the genre, it is violent and disturbing at times too. But it also has space for a little sensuality as well, with the gorgeous María Birta, who plays coke-head Dagný, a very welcome presence indeed.

Black's Game may not exactly break the mould but it's a very good crime-thriller nevertheless. If you enjoy the new wave of north European crime films, such as the recent Headhunters, then this one should offer you something too. It wraps the genre up in the unique ambiance that northern European films do.

After having watched the entire movie from beginning to end, I still don't have a clue why it's called "Black's Game" as no one in it was nicknamed "Black". Nevertheless, it did show a gritty side of Reykjavik that no travelogue would ever reveal. Yes, for this kind of film, there is an excess of sex, drugs and rock & roll, but that's to be expected. And lest the gore hounds are disappointed, a lot of brutal violence, too. The ending was grossly abrupt, something I'm sure most viewers would complain about. I know I did. Not a bad film, all and all.

I saw this film as part of the Rotterdam Film Festival 2012. Main features are the high quality acting and script. The story has an unmistakable drive, keeping your attention for the whole duration. What we see unroll is a typical growth path for a young criminal. He starts with something relatively innocent, moves on to something less benign, and just has to continue from then on while becoming more and more unable to leave the "circle".

As a bonus we get a nice hint from the mentor-in-crime of our main character. When something unexpected happens, do the first thing that comes to mind, however strange it may be, and do it without any hesitation. He indeed acts on that rule a few times with success, especially in the final scene. How that last scene ends exactly, is deliberately left open by the film makers. I don't consider that to be a real problem, this being the only logical wrap-up for the story.

The final Q&A revealed that the footage was shot last May, but that the editing only finished the Monday before the festival screening. Having a fixed deadline in the form of this festival, was definitely needed to arrive at the finished product we saw.

That's what this great movie reminded me of: An Islandic Goodfellas. A morality tale with a comparable "inner circle" of criminal drug-buddies that go through the rise and fall of their own empire.

Stylish as hell, with again many moments that reminded me of Goodfellas and in a way the films of Guy Ritchie, but still with it's own originality and raw power. This combined with great acting all round, especially from the lead "Stebbi Psycho" who kind of keeps a somewhat naive innocence about him, compared to his mostly pretty psychotic buddies, makes this a highly entertaining and engaging watch.

Indeed the beautiful Islandic backdrops that pass by frequently deserve to be mentioned as well. Makes a nice contrast to the greyish slightly dreary Reykjavik suburbs that the story takes place in.

7/10