Jar City (2006)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Really Surprised!

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

In 2000, Iceland's now-defunct Decode Genetics was one of the first companies to try and mine the genetic information of an entire population; so it's maybe not too surprising to find an Icelandic thriller that turns on the patterns of the inheritance of disease. 'Jar City' also emits a strong feeling of the country's extraordinary geography, and of the reserved, defensive natures of a people who live in such a harsh environment. What it doesn't do so successfully is work as a thriller; Ingvar Sigurthsson's gruff leading detective is little more than gruff, and no-one seems to have wholly sufficient motivation to explain their behaviours. For all the striking scenery, this isn't a tourist authority's view of the country; but it's unwelcoming feel is a little off-putting, even to viewers with no intention of leaving their seats.

If you like your crime thrillers with imagination,good directing & superb acting, then 'Myrin' is for you. This Scandanavian cold case cop thriller concerns a police officer who is on a 30 year-old murder case involving the death of a 5 year old girl,while also trying to solve a more recent murder most foul. The officer is also trying to balance all of this while dealing with his own drug addicted daughter who is always trying to cage money off of her dad. Along the way, we are treated to some of Iceland's slimy criminal underworld (including those on the police force). I really admired the photography,which balances some rather bleak,wintry scenes,balanced with the rugged beauty of the Icelandic countryside (the use of muted colour really works for the tone of this rather bleak,pessimistic film). The film also makes good use of some black humour. As this film has no U.S. distribution,it will be a bit of a chore finding a cinema that screens quality films like this. No MPAA rating, but would most likely land an 'R', for every possible reason (raunchy language,violence,some of it pretty bloody & gory,and some very adult situations). Leave the small fry's home for this one (it would probably freak them out,anyway)

This is a well made, enjoyable crime thriller that manages to sustain tension and interest throughout its run time and marries this with some well handled comic moments. The main character, Erlunder, is a multi-layered and believable, ageing, seen-it-all-before cop, while the scenes involving discovery of dead bodies are skin-crawlingly well acted and nauseously realistic.However, given the kind of budgets and talent available to producers of TV crime series these days, Jar City suffers from the fact that the plot really could form an episode of CSI:Rejkjavik or, dare I say it Taggart (a old British crime series). There are no huge surprises or twists in the tail - it is, essentially, a standard, old fashioned who/why dunnit.However, what sets Jar City apart from CSI and its ilk is the cinematography. Obviously I've seen images of Iceland before - but I've never seen it captured in such a bleak, but beautiful fashion. Iceland itself is centrally important to the character of this film (and might even be said to be one of the characters) and its strangely picturesque scenery and, in some cases, downright weirdness, make Jar City worth watching just for this alone.

So far as I know this is the only Icelandic movie I've ever heard of let alone seen but I saw some positive reviews in the press and decided to give it a try. I was unable to prevent myself comparing it to a recent Russian film Koktobel; both involve journeys, one tangible and one metaphorical and neither film is going to boost the tourist industry in their respective countries. One gets the feeling that if Samuel Beckett were to specify landscapes for his depressing plays the one depicted here would be ideal. One looks in vain, if not desperation, for a sliver of colour to temper the drabness. Neither is anyone having much fun so that a break in Siberia would be a step upwards. The main mystery is well handled and the detective well drawn though there is little to make him stand out from the crowd unless you count his penchant for dining on sheep's head from which he removes and eats the eyes with relish. Having seen one example of Icelandic film-making I'd certainly consider others.