Tuesday, June 26, 2001
Title: 101 Reykjavik
Cast: Hilmir Snaer Gudnason, Hanna Maria Karlsdottir, Victoria Abril, Thrudur Vihjalmdottir
Director: Baltasar Kormakur
Hlynur is living at with his divorced mum, 28 and living off benefits. When asked what he does his reply is simply "nothing". When the attempt to expand on that becomes what kind of nothing his reply is "the nothing kind of nothing". Staying in an out of the way area of Reykjavik this seems to suit him fine, especially when the young, blonde Hofi is happy to sleep with him whenever he wants, regardless of him making no commitment to her whatsoever.
Lola arrives from Spain to teach Flamenco dancing to the locals and at the invitation of Hlynur's mother Berglind moves in with the two. Despite the fact that it would seem likely that Lola is a lesbian the intimate environment means that Hlynur is acutely aware of her. Between Christmas and New Year Hofi tells Hlynur she is pregnant. His mother then goes away to visit relations on New Years, the result of which after much drinking is that Hlynur and Lola have sex together. But with the return of his mother there is the revelation that Lola is his mother's lesbian lover and that Lola is pregnant by a "donor".
Faced with having gotten two women pregnant and having slept with his mother's girlfriend Hlynur has been slapped in the face by life and it looks like things will need to change. But how?
The characters and events build so that 101 Reykjavik could easily become a farce, but instead it tends towards the aspects of black comedy and drama. All aided by the way in which the film makes Reykjavik look like a bleak city - only showing a few streets and for the most part bleak, snowy weather. Complimenting these aspects is the soundtrack, which is composed by Damon Albarn (Blur) and Einar Orn Benediktsson (Sugar Cubes) - a pulsating electronic score for the most part, considerably enjoyable in its own right, I suspect.
RVWR: PTR
June 2001
