Solid Icelandic Gangster Movie
This is basically a stylish and well made Icelandic gangster flick, set in 1999 and showing a group of low level hoods, looking to move up the food chain using drugs and violence. Stebbi (Thor Kristjansson) is a young dealer, who ends up owing money and inadvertently becomes a gang member, alongside Tóti. Tóti is played brilliantly by the only actor who has any experience, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson. The stunning María Birta, who plays Dagný, and Thor, are newcomers to movies, but hold their own in this decent little Indie. I’m pretty sure this film might be internationally recognised, and rightly so. Having Chris Briggs involved couldn’t hurt. Mr Briggs has produced some very well known films such as, the Hostel trio and Godsend among others.
There are nods to a few well known Hollywood gangster movies, The Godfather being the most obvious, horses and all! There are nice touches of the directors style here and there, and his influences are there for all to see. It’s not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a rock solid flick, from a country that isn’t known for knocking out box office classics, but by the looks of things, it’s about to change.
The bottom line is, it’s well acted, graphic violence, decent writing, production isn’t the best I’ve seen but it’s a damn fine gangster flick.
Grade: B+ (7/10)
Review by E. Blackadder, special to Influx Magazine
