The festival programme describes this as "The best Icelandic incest comedy ever" - and who could resist such a tagline? Not me, and I'm glad I chose to follow my instincts.
Gunnar writes self help books, Disa is a receptionist at the hospital, together they appear to be just another middle class couple who've grown to be slightly bored with one another. Then son David comes home to tell them he's getting married, and introduces his girlfriend, Sunna. Once the four begin to talk, and the parents learn some of the background to their future daughter in law, Gunnar recognises the unwelcome truth. Sunna is his biological daughter from an affair he had in the early days of his marriage.
What should Gunnar do? What would his self help books (which he himself admits are a con) say he should do? Tell the truth and expose his infidelity, or try to find ways to sabotage the wedding plans? This sounds like a thin premise on which to base a 95 minute film, but the results belie that assumption. Yes, it is slow paced and is all the better for it. For there's never any sense of time dragging, but we get to see some of the most wonderfully awkward silences in cinema history.
If a few of the plot devices are predictable there are plenty of surprise twists to balance them out. And some genuinely moving moments too, with a happy ending of sorts. It is also delightfully funny, featuring some wonderfully understated and naturalistic performances. The opening scene, pre-titles, is a miniature masterclass in marital non-communication, all half finished non sequiturs and those tense comedic silences.
You can look for a moral in the importance of telling the truth, and the dangers of long kept secrets which can explode into the lives of more than those immediately involved. This is a comedy that's not afraid to put it's serious face on. But it's the laughs you'll remember most.
Fans of fast action and high drama should look elsewhere. But for anyone who appreciates the natural comedy of ordinary life this is a rewarding experience. Highly recommended.
No comments:
Post a Comment