Land Ho!

Land Ho! Is a very pleasant surprise. Coming into the movie, I had zero expectations, since I had never heard of the film prior, and a movie about two old men embarking on a journey through Iceland, sounded like something that could have been boring for me. However, great chemistry between the two leads (Earl Lynn Nelson and Paul Eenhoorn), along with an emphasis of character than story, and a lot of very funny but vulgar humor, made Land Ho! was a pleasant surprise for me.

Land Ho! is a film that starts out in The U.S. (the opening scenes were filmed in Kentucky), and winds up going to Iceland after the first fifteen minutes of the film. Telling the story of two brother-in-laws named Mitch (his full name is Leslie Mitchell, but he prefers Mitch because he finds Leslie to be a girl's name), and Colin, an Australian, who decide to go through Iceland in an attempt to reclaim their youth. They go through Reykjavik nightclubs, spas, and campsites. This film is supposed to be a throwback to the 1980's road trip comedies, as well as an exploration of age and friendship. Mitch and Colin are still friends in the film all the way through, despite their differences and arguments.

As mentioned already, Land Ho! is a joy to watch, but what it makes it work is the actor's chemistry with each other. As played by Nelson and Eenhoorn, Mitch and Colin are believable as old acquaintances and best friends. The two bicker and argue in the film, but they still laugh and have a good time with each other. I especially like the movie references they give (of which the film has plenty of), including Sleepless in Seattle, Rio Bravo and Pretty Woman. Those were fun to hear and catch, as was the rest of the film.

The movie itself is put into three different sequences, referring to where the two are traveling. These include, The Golden Circle, Land Manga, and Laughter. Some of the plot concerns Mitch seeing his younger cousin (who refers to him as uncle, even though they are second cousins), who is visiting Iceland. The other parts of the plot concern Mitch and Colin getting caught up in some wacky shenanigans, like in an assuming scene where the two get lost in the dark after being outside and are trying to get back to their hotel, but can't see and eventually end up sleeping in the woods at night; very amusing scene.

The humor in Land Ho! comes from the characters interactions with each other. Director and writer team Aaron Katz and Martha Stephens clearly have a good idea on how to create genuine humor. Mitch and Colin, or either one or the other are the focus of the film 100% of the time, which is a good thing, and adds to the humor and interaction. Quotes such as "angels pissing on your tongue" and the use of the words "balls" in a particular scene, had me and the audience cracking up, as we were already enjoying the rest of the film. Another funny scene occurs when Mitch and Colin are in the water swimming around. Colin does his best Johnny Weissmuller Tarzans' scream impersonation. The film's dialogue and humor can be very vulgar at times, so it may not be for everyone, even if the film itself is harmless in terms of actual imagery.

Land Ho! is an enjoyable, road adventure comedy. It's not the greatest movie ever, but as a piece of entertainment, it works extremely well. The actors' chemistry, along with the humor, helps to make the film enjoyable to watch. You don't see many road movies like Land-Ho made these days.

I took the title of this review from the 1976 Jethro Tull album, which is an appropriate time period for this movie because Mitch and Collin, the two main characters in this movie, appear to be either pushing 70 or in their 70s like many boomers. Mitch was a doctor. Collin was a bank manager. Neither is working any longer. Both are now divorced. And alone. The two were married to a pair of sisters, which makes them ex-brothers-in-law but more important, old friends. It's giving nothing away to tell you that the movie spends five minutes in Kentucky and the rest of the time in Iceland.

This is a road trip movie that follows a set pattern. It starts sort of rocky, gets into a swing, there's a trumped up moment that drives the characters apart, then there's resolution. It seems like every road trip movie is written this way. Only the surprises differ. In this movie, there's a third main character that never speaks. It's the incredible geography of Iceland, which Mitch and Collin explore throughout the movie.

This is an enjoyable film, which looks lightly at some of the issues associated with growing older that many baby boomers just like Mitch and Collin face today. See the world through Mitch's and Collin's eyes and you'll feel a bit better about the journey. Better yet, buy two first-class tickets to Iceland like they did.

This is definitely a context film. In the context of great works of film and Oscar performances - not so much. In the context of how I imagine my adventure travel in my 70's - spot on. I will recommend this to two of my buddies whom I hope to make similar trips with in our later years. Mitch and Collin are two characters who I can see myself alluding too for many years to come on various tourist trips into parts unknown.

I watched this on an international flight and the woman in front of me asked what I was watching because she kept hearing me giggle in my seat.

Greetings again from the darkness. Extra credit goes to the writer/director team of Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz for their indie spirit and unique character-driven adventure - a rare Iceland based comedy. The former Film School classmates bring color of personality and color of terrain to the forefront.

Mitch (Earl Lynn Nelson) and Colin (Paul Eenhoorn) are former brothers-in-law, once married to sisters. The polar opposites are each battling loneliness and aging, and Mitch (the gregarious one) basically forces Colin (the reserved one) into a spontaneous vacation with him to Iceland. After this, we watch what amounts to a an AARP Road Trip Buddy film.

Mitch's bravura masks his loss of purpose and fear of mortality, while Colin mostly just shakes his head at each vulgar thought spoken without filter by Mitch. Despite the obvious differences in personality, the two come across as real guys soaking up the adventure. While Colin enjoys his solo hike that ends with a dip in the hot springs, Mitch sips his scotch while pestering a honeymooning couple (one of which is played by well known cinematographer Ben Kasulke) with questions about their private time in the room. He means no harm, he just thrives on fun ... whether it's his or someone else's.

Mitch and Colin have a definite on screen connection, and what makes this fascinating is that while Paul Eenhoorn is an established Australian actor, Earl Lynn Nelson is a real life retired surgeon who has only recently begun acting. Mr. Nelson's comfort in front of the camera is obvious whether he is telling his much younger cousin she has a "hot ass", or toking on weed at the hotel. Many long time actors would have struggled in this role, but Nelson ... while not always likable, leaves no doubt about his search for fun.

Other than the two lead actors, the landscape of Iceland is a key to the look and feel of the film. The panoramas are beautifully filmed, and if somehow a few people actually see the film, it would not be surprising is Iceland tourism spikes. Though the film offers no life lessons, and offers little in defense of "getting old sucks", this little senior citizen character study is a worthy entry into the "gray cinema" genre.

It made me laugh, it made me cringe.

But I KNOW people like the characters in this movie, warts and all and that's why I found the film so appealing--in real life, not everyone speaks in complete sentences, or has a clever retort; sometimes, people are clumsy and there are awkward pauses--and there's plenty of that in this film. That might drive some people nuts, but I found it to be a feature, not a bug.

The scenes of Iceland were breathtaking, it was like a travelogue in some respects, but (I keep coming back to this) I liked the dialogue; it seemed very unscripted, the way that real people talk. The conversations between the American and Australian ex-brothers in law were hilarious at times and annoying at other times, and poignant, still, at others, and the work just seemed more like a goofy reality-type documentary than a film.

It will most assuredly NOT be to everyone's taste--it is a weird film, one feels almost like a voyeur watching it, but I found it a good use of my time.

If your tastes are a bit oddball, you will get a kick out of this film--let it unroll at its own pace, ya can't force it...!