What can you truly say about an Icelandic film that features - as the principal story line - two sheep farming brothers who've not spoken to each other in 40years? Yes, it looks good (this part of the worlds film makers are the last to leave a scene on screen for long enough for the viewer to fully say they saw it!). Only problem here, is the scenes, like the story, are minimalist. The performances are untypical so you feel you could be watching a documentary about the actual farmers of the region - this is a plus. The landscapes are stark and shot to capture the vast emptiness with cold honesty.
The music is as stark and cold as the story and surroundings - also a plus. The story reminds us of the sibling rivalry that raked several Biblical families and nations. The real star just could have been the astoundingly intelligent dog who acts as the go-between-postal service between these two somewhat ignorant men - this animal has to seen to be believed. The tragedy of devastating livestock diseases that sweep through these isolated farming communities is understandably gut wrenching for every poor soul involved but, the main focus of the story poses other asides that don't seem to be fully explored.
If you, like me, don't feel satisfied with open-ended finales...endings where you have to imagine the final outcome, then you may not be fulfilled by the final fade out. Yes, there are only two possibilities as closures but, which one was it! OK, there is a resolve to some relationship aspects --but you felt that coming anyway-- so what about survival? the possibility between life or death in these frozen outdoor situations is as minimal as the story and gets to be less so with each exposed minute...
Overall this is reasonably good character study (albeit odd characters) that keeps you watching even though it could have offered a touch more. Not for Action aficionados but at least it beats the cheap World Movie channel's usual perverse trash-fests hands down!
The music is as stark and cold as the story and surroundings - also a plus. The story reminds us of the sibling rivalry that raked several Biblical families and nations. The real star just could have been the astoundingly intelligent dog who acts as the go-between-postal service between these two somewhat ignorant men - this animal has to seen to be believed. The tragedy of devastating livestock diseases that sweep through these isolated farming communities is understandably gut wrenching for every poor soul involved but, the main focus of the story poses other asides that don't seem to be fully explored.
If you, like me, don't feel satisfied with open-ended finales...endings where you have to imagine the final outcome, then you may not be fulfilled by the final fade out. Yes, there are only two possibilities as closures but, which one was it! OK, there is a resolve to some relationship aspects --but you felt that coming anyway-- so what about survival? the possibility between life or death in these frozen outdoor situations is as minimal as the story and gets to be less so with each exposed minute...
Overall this is reasonably good character study (albeit odd characters) that keeps you watching even though it could have offered a touch more. Not for Action aficionados but at least it beats the cheap World Movie channel's usual perverse trash-fests hands down!