Pale Star, Cineworld, Edinburgh Film Festival

Solveig is an interesting woman.  Within the first ten minutes she's murdered her abusive partner, distilled and distributed illicit alcohol, and had sex in the back door of a Land Rover with the local cafe owner.  Oh, and she does a bit of knitting too.  All with barely a word being said.

Set in a bleak and remote corner of Iceland this is an odd tale.  There's very little dialogue, and much of what there is is in Icelandic with no subtitles (the director did later say he might review that decision - he should!), and an alienating musical soundtrack.  Solveig takes in a Scottish tourist who has locked her husband in a caravan.  But when Ari, that cafe owner, brings him to Solveig's it's the beginning of much violence and turmoil.

It's bleak, slow and confusing.  But not without it's own fascination.  I did keep hoping that all would be explained at the end, but I left no better off.  One for the connoisseur of oddity.