101 Reykjavik

101 Reykjavik blowed my mind off when I saw it. Mine, who's lived in Iceland, spent (too!) much time in 101 Reykjavik and seen it all. It's so real that it's a bit scary; life really can be like that in Reykjavik. I'd recommend this film to someone who's interested in the Icelandic way of living and doesn't get shocked too easily! To make the experience deeper and fuller, also read the book! It's shockingly thick but worth every word in it.

This more or less seems to become a new trend: European countries – not particularly known for their rich history in film-making – surprise the world with semi-artistic movies telling us how boring life is in this particular country. F*cking Amal did so for Sweden…and 101 Reykjavik represents Iceland's pride and joy. I really like the lackadaisical tone of this film and especially the main character Hlynur is great! I love these Icelandic names, by the way…and the language is lovely! Anyway, Hlynur is a 30 something single man who gives cigarettes to 4-year-olds and daydreams about butchering his closest relatives with a shotgun…on Christmas day! He still lives with his mother while he already looks forward to drawing a pension. Oh, he also occasionally bangs his mother's Flamenco dance-teacher. Her name is Lola and every time her name is mentioned the song by The Kinks can be heard on a harmonica, which is rather funny. Anyway, Hlynur doesn't know that Lola is the lesbian toygirl of his mother…Just your typical day in 101 Reykjavik.

101 Reykjavik is very funny, only because the main character is such a loser! And everybody knows is a lot more interesting to observe a loser instead of a fake action hero, right? The different subjects handled in this film all may look very controversial, but the terrific use of black humor and satire makes it a lot easier to digest. And, it must be said, the film features a few extremely ingenious findings! In a brilliantly comical scene, Hlynur irritates a traffic warden by putting extra coins in every parking meter so that he can't write a single ticket. I'd certainly recommend this film, as long as you're not expecting an authentic masterpiece. It's clever, creative and filled with nudity (male and female). If they made one lesson clear with this movie, it's: don't ever settle in Iceland!

This is one of the funniest movies I watched recently. A 30 years old guy, still living with his mother, refusing to get a job and quite retarded in regard to any relation with the opposite sex, runs into one crazy situation after the other, and his complete disability to handle them simply makes you scream out laughing. Yet, the humour in the movie is not of the dumb slapstick or nonsense kind, but, with some exceptions, actually quite intelligent, as social issues like sexual orientation, identity and general problems of way of living are dealt with. The spanish girl, as an intruder in the rather decadent and boring scenario of small Reykjavik, raises questions and perturbs the world of the small family perfectly by first seducing the son and then the mother, though unwillingly. Great acting. If this movie had a broader audience, it could really have become a big hit; now it encants only a limited number of spectators with its (very un-nordic) warm, easy and comfortable atmosphere and leaves you very satisfied. Big recommendation!

There are no new horizons in this film. Yes, there are quite a few perhaps talented young fellows who have a difficulty to adapt to mature life, to get a job, to get a stable relationship, financial independence. Haven't you known that already? But there is a novelty: a middle-aged mum comes out of the closet and declares her lesbian preference. Hang on, though: could you imagine a dad coming out of the closet? Probably yes, but then the emphasis of the film would have been very different. I mean, I'm somewhat suspicious about this lesbian line: isn't it just another sexy (literally and figuratively speaking), saucy attraction added to the film, for its own sake? Hardly anyone, presumably, would be curious to watch middle-aged or old men engaged in gay sex. Not so with women. Likewise, I've never been to Reykjavik, but I'm stunned to discover the apparently large number of lesbian or bi-sexual girls in its pubs. The asymmetry with homosexual men is obvious. So I have my doubts about this film's realism, or more exactly, its cynical exploitation of basic instincts. The film pretends to be a comedy. But it fails. As far as I'm concerned, there's just one genuinely funny moment---the scene with the parking inspector. All the rest are only *supposed* to be funny. A positive moment, however, is that they are not tasteless still. If it's a failed comedy, does it deliver a message? Hardly. Except possibly one: Hlynur eventually finds the job. That could be a serious message, if Hlynur were described as a rebel at the beginning. Which he isn't. Hence the film doesn't aspire to be anything but a comedy, and in that department it fails, I believe.

Now, you might think that such a mediocre film should have poor acting. You are wrong! Oddly enough, the acting is of very good quality. Guonason is perfect, entirely natural, and other leading actors are quite decent. I'm no great fan of Victoria Abril, but she does a good job too. To sum up: watch this film after a busy day and go to bed. Rating: 6.5.

Iceland is a strange country, isolated from the rest of the world and with a strong sense of its traditional identity; but also affluent, liberal and with a reputation for hedonism. '101 Reykjavik', named after a district of its capital city famed for its nightclubs, takes a wry and jaundiced look at that society, viewing it through the perspective of Hlynur, a depressed, childish and insular young man living at home with his mother. Hlynur seems a very Icelandic sort of anti-hero, and the link between the nature of the characters and their place of abode gives this quirky comedy a distinctive and authentic feel, although it seems slightly surprising how much female attention the socially defective Hylnur is able to attract. There are more sophisticated movies out there, but '101 Rekjavik' is always entertaining and certainly worth watching, especially to anyone who's wondered what it really must be like to live in such a peculiar outpost of the western world.