Beautiful Feet

I'm starting to think I should go to Iceland. I keep coming across movies and shows made there. And I am going across the Pond next year—hmmm... Meanwhile I'll stick to film. The Deep  (2013, dir. Baltasar Kormákur) could be received anti-climactically, but I found it a quiet rumination on several themes. While it is somewhat an action piece, that's not the bulk of it. If you want a thought-provoking film, eat the popcorn during the first half and then settle down. The star, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, is a sort of Icelandic Philip Seymour Hoffman (RIP) here, and his understated performance is part of the reason the brakes go on during the narrative based on a true story. Speaking of our late fave actor, I chose God's Pocket  because I LOVE him and really appreciate John Turturro and Richard Jenkins. But a few minutes in, I realized I'd seen it (all Philip's indie pictures tend to conflate for me) and I wasn't in the mood for its violence and disconcerting e...

This looked like some funny-townsfolk comedy and imdb classifies it as a tragicomedy, but there is precious little to laugh about in Rams (2015, directed by  Grímur Hákonarson ).   This movie is tough going but gorgeous both visually and spiritually. Slow pace and understated performances. No spoilers. The only funny thing is that not only is the dog but the principal sheep are credited by name at the end! Awww. An excellent TV series is Trapped (2015), a very tight police and family drama, which I won't spoil either. There are twists and turns you won't see coming, but they're all done with that Northern kind of sensibility. Subtle performances that don't need to call attention to themselves to affect. Loved it.