The Oath (Le serment d'Hippocrate)

We've seen this story told many times before but this still seems fresh and the acting is quite good. A little slow to get started but when it does, it's quite suspenseful. It's worth a watch, and the Icelandic settings are a relief from the usual American locales.

''The Oath'' (original title: ''Eiðurinn'') is an Icelandic production, directed by the famous auteur, Baltasar Kormákur who gave us the exceptional ''Jar City'' in 2006 -a film based on a novel by Arnaldur Indridason- and is also the creator of the compelling television series, ''Trapped''. Kormákur is also the screenwriter of this film along with Ólafur Egilsson, and the protagonist as he portrays Finnur, an upper-class surgeon and father of Anna, a troubled teenager who is madly in love with a low-life criminal, Óttar (Gísli Örn Garðarsson is great in his performance). Of course, Finnur doesn't approve of his daughter's relationship and he is willing to do anything in order to win her back and be a family once again. But things spiral out of control and Finnur finds himself in a tough spot where he has to violate the Hippocratic Oath -this is the titular ''oath''- that every doctor takes in the beginning of his career, or lose his offspring for good. The plot unfolds on a rather steady tempo and the viewer has the opportunity to indulge in the great cinematography of the movie which is one of its greatest merits. The Icelandic landscape is a character in itself and always triggers a variety of gloomy, melancholic feeling that suits the story perfectly. ''The Oath'' is an emotional story about the existence -or not- of limits in the actions of a parent who wants to save his child from corruption and decay. The finale is moving and unconventional, giving the viewer's imagination space for his own interpretation. The production values of the film are of high quality and I think that ''The Oath'' is a better movie from the majority of the crime films produced in Hollywood. Baltasar Kormákur proves -once again- that he is a rising star in direction and that his point of view is insightful as well as humane.

This movie did some things right, but also failed at many occasions. I liked the setting, the camera work, some of the actors (the daughter showed some decent acting), and the composition of most of the scenes, i.e. the background, was well done.

What I did not like was the main actor, who has a cinema-suited face, but that's all he has. Maybe he was told to not show any emotions, or he is just not able to. In either case he was really boring to watch, he did not seem emotionally involved in the scenes. You will also get some blatant product placement, which should have been done more subtle. If you need money for your film and you have to put in some product, at least do it in a way that's not so much in your face. The main actor, his wife, and the police chief were also poorly designed. They are full of cliché, and do not have those interesting traits that would make them a person which is somewhat believable. It seems that the main character was mostly designed in way that they could show off some "cool looking" scenery and camera work, his "hobbies" seemed to be chosen just for this reason. The wife of the main character seems only to be there to show a worried face and smoke. She did not say anything interesting or important.

The story was OK, for a TV-Thriller, but the other flaws did not allow me to get into it. And some scenes were just completely unnecessary. Anyway, I am writing this because no one else has written a review, and the current score is misleading, if you ask me.

This interesting drama, which participated in the official section of the San Sebastian International Film Festival in 2016, is performed by some of Iceland's best-known actors. Icelandic auteur Baltasar Kormákur ("Contraband", "2 Guns", "Everest") directs and stars as a troubled father, Finnur (Baltasar Kormákur), working as a surgeon decides to go to extreme measures to save his daughter Anna (Hera Hilmar) from the devastating influence of her drug-dealer boyfriend Ottar (Gísli Örn Garðarsson). But soon he sees that Otto has a darker side. In a final, desperate attempt to get evidence to use against . With boyfriends like this, enemies are the last thing you need!.Get rid Ottar's sick craving for Anna?. And his adoration turns to obsession, their dream into a nightmare, and her love into fear. Guys like him don't grow on trees, or even swing on them. But he might just hang you from one. The attraction was obvious...The danger wasn't. Now, if he can't have her...No one will. Attraction. Infatuation. Desire. Love. Fear. He wants to make you his...in the worst way. Sometimes, love is a good thing...to fear.

Some cleverness, but ultimately follows a familiar, cliched path littered one-dimensional characters and predictable plot twists. In this psychological thriller about a father who tries to pull his daughter out of her world of drugs and petty crime, only to find that danger can be found in unexpected places. Stars Baltasar Kormákur giving a decenta acting as a surgeon in his fifties who discovers that his daughter is totally immersed in the world of drugs and who will try to get her out no matter what the cost.

This is the second film (after 101 Reykjavík) in which the Icelandic filmmaker acts as both director, screenwriter, producer and protagonist. After directing ¨2 guns¨ and ¨Everest¨ in the United States, Kormákur returns to Iceland to film the highest-grossing film of 2006. Violent, unconventional climax kills any credibility that was left. The movie title refers to the Hippocratic Oath, which is traditionally sworn by doctors. Baltasar Kormákur and Gísli Örn Garðarsson standout as the girl's protective father and a violent delinquent boyfriend respectively.

It displays evocative and colorful cinematographt shot on location in Reikiavik, Lundarreykjadalur, Islandia. This highest grossing film of 2016 on Iceland was professionally directed Baltasar Kormákur. Baltasar who was born in Reykjavik, Iceland , is a good writer/Producer/filmmaker, an artisan who has directed a number of decent movies of all kinds of genres . As he has directed¨Contraband," which was a remake of Oskar Johansson's "Reykjavik Rotterdam," and he produced through his Blueeyes Productions, along with Working Title Films. Kormákur's next films were the thriller "2 Guns," starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, ¨The missionary , ¨The Oath¨ , ¨Adrift¨ , ¨Everest¨,among others . And his last one is ¨The Beast¨with Idris Elba . Rating : 6/10 . The picture will appeal to thriller enthusiasts.

I like Kormákur as an actor and director but not here, the plot is illogical, I agree with other reviewer about full of cliché, unnecessary dialogues. Look like Baltasar Kormákur tried to put little pieces from different thrillers in this, just hope his next work will be good as usual.