101 Reykjavik (2000)

First off, let me be clear: Churchgoers and family values folks should keep moving; there is nothing you will (or your kids should) want to see here. A chief draw for most viewers will be the film's setting in Iceland, in and around its capital city -- assuming you can appreciate the appeal of bleak frozen mountain and urban landscapes where there is little more to do than shiver, or stay indoors drinking, partying, and "hooking up" (having lots of that sex you hear they have in Europe). For the prurient at heart, the film has about four total minutes of nude and sex scenes, including two extended scenes of heterosexual rutting and one extended scene of lesbian writhing. The film stars Hilmir as Hlynur, a 30-year-old man who smokes a lot, watches porn on his computer, and does "nothing" else but collect his unemployment check for "disability." He lives with his mother in a small apartment: the couch is a hideaway bathtub right next to the kitchen table. He may have an Electra complex, though he has a girlfriend he treats like dirt. You could assume he is a slacker or a welfare-state mooch, which is a thing in Iceland, but I assumed his "disability" was medically documented, and probably Asperger's (high-functioning autism), esp. given the obnoxious way he banters and argues, and is clueless about social cues like expressing thanks for a Christmas gift (which he never conceived of reciprocating). His mother takes in Lola, a passionate Spanish flamenco teacher, for the holidays, and soon afterwards, she announces two momentous decisions (and his girlfriend announces a third). Some say this film is boring and moves too slowly; I felt it moved too fast, skipping weeks and months without notice. The best scene is when he tries to commit suicide by glacier (sort of). The last minute is a bit upbeat but the rest of the movie is basically living out the threat in Princess Bride: "Do you want to go back to where you were -- unemployed, in Greenland?" You will want English subtitles; my Icelandic is not good but the translation seemed fine from what I could tell. Enjoy! Rounding up to 3 stars. (7-7-2017)