UK Premeire

Short Synopsis

Dark secrets are slowly revealed in the suburban modern day Reykjavik when a desperate trip of a dentist, a successful businessman and a young mother running away from her past meet by chance.

Review

Icelandic director Ragnar Bragason's concept of parenthood is not a sentimental vision of new born babies and happy mums and dads. Whereas the grown-ups in his previous film, Children, were trapped within prisons of their own innate immaturity, here his characters are dealing with the complexities and pain of becoming responsible adults.

The film centres on three main characters. Oskar, an emotionally repressed dentist, who after five years of marriage desperately wants a child. He feels his wife, who is already coping with her children from a previous marriage, is uninterested in further procreation. Oskar’s colleague, Katrin, is a single mother trying hard to earn the respect of her son whilst contending with an overbearing mother and an abusive partner. Finally, there is Einar whose obsession with his job wrecked his marriage and pushed his young daughter away. They all share the belief that through building relationships with their children they may well find some solace from their unhappiness and loneliness.

If this all sounds as bleak as the Reykjavik landscape against which the film is beautifully photographed (in black and white) then be assured that there is considerable pleasure to be found from such honest, well observed and indeed grown-up film making. Besides there are moments of humour to sweeten the pill and the excellent performances alone make the film well worth seeking out. AD

Alan Diment