Jitters

Jitters is okay; I didn't hate it, but I can't say I like it; it's just too unbelievable to react to in much of any way at all.

Atli Oskar Fjalarsson is very cute, and although it's completely unbelievable that every girl he knows has the hots for him, I'd believe it in an instant if they were boys (but they're not).

In any other movie, a boy like him - a sweet, gentle, graceful, sympathetic, six-foot, 90-pound sylph-like pretty boy with flawless skin - would constantly be having to prove he's not gay, and constantly be bullied by gangs of straight boys and ridiculed by gangs of straight girls; but evidently it's not like that in Iceland. Everybody in this movie, of every age, male and female, seems to see Matthew McConaughey in him instead of Audrey Hepburn. It's a great mystery.

Unfortunately, Atli Oscar's cuteness is about all this silly movie has going for it. I never believed in anybody, so I never cared what happened to anybody. What's obviously supposed to be the great tragedy is simply ludicrous, but no more ludicrous than anything else that happens.

This is my first Icelandic movie, so it may be a cultural thing; although I have loved and related deeply to movies from all the other Scandinavian countries, Iceland is very different, and very much smaller. But it's a little hard to believe - even as isolated as that country is and always has been - that teenagers and even adults are as naive, as clueless, as simpleminded, almost, as they are in this movie.

I'm pretty sure Iceland is a modern, advanced country, but these people seem more out of touch than the Amish. Maybe it's true that Icelanders are extraordinarily simple, naive, backward people; if so, I can understand why the world isn't swarming with Icelandic movies. But for now I'm going to assume that Iceland is a great country and Icelanders are smart, interesting people and that this is just a dumb movie.

One would be hard pressed to find a movie as horrible as this one. There is more "gay action" at a Trump rally. The boys supposedly in love are hardly ever in the story. They start kissing at the start of the film without any hint of them wanting to do so. Then the girls enter the picture chasing them are all over the place for some reason that is never explored or explained. The parents are all concerned about their kids behavior absent any any hint as to why they care. This is not a coming of age teen film. It is centered on teens getting smashed with their friends which is nothing new. "Lets have another drink" is the zeitgeist of the show. When I was finished watching this disaster I had more than a few.

I have to echo another reviewer who indicated that the star, Gabriel, a 16 yr old Icelandic boy, is the best thing about this film. He is very cute and appealing, but really only to gay viewers. He goes to Manchester, England, for a short school course, and meets another Icelandic boy, Markus, who seems to be Mr. Straight Boy, but in fact, is gay, and when drunk, they share a kiss. Back in Iceland, Gabriel reunites with his high school friends, a couple of girls and one guy. For the most part, their entire lives revolve around alcohol and parties. Now, it is well known that Iceland suffers from an alcoholism problem, but these kids just drink, and drink, and drink some more, mostly hard liquor. There is some drama among the girls who are hot for Gabriel, who is not hot for them, and for his friend Teddi, who is hot for any living female.Other drama includes a girl living with her impossible grandmother, another girl living with her drunk mother, and Gabriel's divorced parents, who think his moodiness is because he is on drugs. If anything, this film makes living in Rejkavik seem terrible, since there is nothing to do but drink. The characters are shallow and uninteresting, and Gabriel is the only one worth looking at.

As for the previous writer's review I won't comment...

I thought this was a very well done coming of age drama. These kids are no different than kids in the US in that age group. Some people do drink a lot as well as do drugs during those years. It doesn't mean they aren't going to eventually find themselves and turn into who they will become in years to come.

I thought the acting of each of these young people was very good and Gabriel's character would certainly touch home with many in any part of the world who are trying to figure it all out...

I would highly suggest this movie to young people coming of age who are having problems with their sexuality. The movie is for the most part non-sexual in nature and what exist of the gay portion is very well done.

You are in your teens, have a wealthy family/environment (at least in global terms), not too much cash to spend, no special hobbies or passions - what would you do? Hanging around, partying, sobbing over yourself and others, trying to define yourself in life...

All this we can see in Órói, with remote location and isolation enhancing them. Life seems hard emotionally, but teens have rather determined ways to cope and/or move on, particularly if you have something "abnormal" inside you, to be concealed from others. Thus, the script is not conceptional, but pleasant performances, realism and views of Iceland provide additional virtues, including witty ending and mix of funny (e.g. family meetings) and tragic (a death) moments.

Apart from rumours or comprehensions, it is no really gay film, so it can be recommended to those with conservative viewpoints as well. Perhaps not for parents of teens, as "adult" topics are shown too often (well, having visited Iceland, it is odd how the youth can afford so much to drink as respective prices are among the highest in the world).