Shadowtown

Took my family to see this film in Haskolabio cinema last night and we enjoyed it immensely. This is a film for our taste, not too much dialogue and rich visuals. The story deals with Icelandic reality in the present as well as the past. The acting and cinematography are fantastic. The filmmakers give us time to digest the story as it deals with reality and supernatural themes in a believable way. Well done.

It is an extraordinary film. A supernatural story. Poetic and cinematic at the same time. Touching and relevant. Everyone go to the movies. Enjoy it in front of the big screen and get a glimpse of how a film is truly made from the heart.

The film opens with a bang that immediately grabs your attention. From there, the colours are muted and the suspense builds slowly - one subtle clue at a time. One viewer at the world premiere called Shadowtown "a superb and original movie with a very Icelandic and poetic ambiance." I can't say it any better myself. This is a film I will watch several times, if only to discover what I missed the first time around. The casting is excellent in a film where everyone is more than they seem.

Set in the Icelandic financial boom of 2007, dirty tactics were used by real estate developers to acquire old houses in down-town Reykjavik. A mad rush ensued to replace them with gigantic apartment buildings and hotels. Maya, a medical student in her mid twenties, inherits an old house from a schizophrenic grandmother she never met and didn't know existed. Under pressure to sell the house, mysterious messages drive her to look further into her family's past before the chance is gone. A family tragedy is revealed that affects her life even today, raising questions about her grandmother's death, and putting her own life in danger.

SHADOWTOWN is the most recent collaboration between Jon Gustafsson and Karolina Lewicka, a brilliant film I have seen more than once! Fabulous direction and screen writing by the pair. It has mystery, suspense, supernatural aspects and visual beauty.

John Rhys-Davies, one of my favorite character actors of Lord of the Rings fame, plays one of the central characters and is superb. The acting is well done thoughout.

As a photographer I marvelled at the cinematography. Some parts were actual studies in lighting, and how it affects mood. Hats off to the cinematogragher and film crew !

Like reading a great book, certain passages open up your own imagination, personalizing the film for the individual viewer. This is just a superb film that you'll want to see in the Theatres!

Great story, well written and acted. No fluff or overdevelopment of characters, just a good story well told. Short and sweet!