Reykjavik-Rotterdam (2008)

Great Film overall

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Christopher is having money problems; much of what he owns was given to him by his friend Steingrímur; his wife Iris jokes that he even got her the same way! With the landlord threatening to evict him from his home he agrees to Steingrímur suggestion that he return to his old smuggling ways and bring a consignment of vodka from The Netherlands; Steingrímur will fund the operation and they will split the profits fifty-fifty. While Christopher sails for Rotterdam a drug dealer and his thugs start intimidating his wife for reasons that aren't immediately obvious. Aboard ship he and his shipmates work out where they will hide all the vodka so that the captain won't find it. Meanwhile another crewmate finds where he has hidden the money. After arriving in Rotterdam the lack of money could prove a problem but their contact forces Christopher and a friend to help them with an art heist as payment. As they return to Iceland it becomes obvious that Steingrímur isn't the friend Christopher thought he was. When he gets back he will have problems with the police, the drug dealer and Steingrímur.When I picked this film on DVD I knew nothing about it; the blurb on the box made it look interesting and I didn't have any Icelandic films in my collection so I bought it… I'm pleased that I did. The story is interesting with some fine action as well as a surprising amount of comedy. This comedy is unforced; based entirely on amusing incidents rather than silliness or comic dialogue. The cast do an impressive job; especially Baltasar Kormákur who gives a standout performance as Christopher; also notable are Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson as Steingrímur and Lilja Nótt Þórarinsdóttir as Iris. The action is good without being over the top; I particularly liked when the ship arrived in Rotterdam and it looked as if it wasn't going to stop in time and the art heist scene. As the film approaches its conclusion the tension rises nicely and for a while it looks as if a key character is dead. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody looking for something a little different.

Reykavik-Rotterdam has its moments, and lead actor Baltasar Kormákur does a pretty good job of maintaining a continuity through the film ... but, to be honest, there's not a lot that's extraordinary here. There's virtually nothing new to this one; it's a rework of ex-con trying to make ends meet and being reeled back into crime, with the kicker of having to help a dumb brother-in-law who's in over his head. Then you have the scheming business owner looking to cut in on the ex- con's lady, and manipulating others to take the ex-con out of her life. (Sound like something you've seen before?) Frankly, Warner Brothers started making this film over-and-over with the birth of the talkies, and the only new angle is containerized shipping as the backdrop and cellphone ringtones as embedded clues.The cast is certainly fine, but they don't have much to work with as far as their characters. You don't get a sense of anything beyond a bunch of low-lifes aspiring to nothing more than than the continuation of their low-lifedom. And the comedic bits are somewhat shoehorned in for quick and unsatisfying relief -- except for the goofball gangster sequence in Rotterdam, which really didn't last long enough.It's not a bad movie at all, but it's not something that bears repeat viewing ... it's a spot of entertainment, but wound up in rather tired film clichés. And it's nowhere near the level of an Academy Award nomination for best foreign film.

When I looked up this film on IMDb to comment on it, I noticed that there is already talk of a remake with Mark Wahlberg. It doesn't surprise me that major studios would turn to this thriller, which depicts an unusual and interesting milieu and tells its story with great suspense, warmth and humor. Although, as an art historian, I cannot recommend the negligent treatment of a Jackson Pollock painting in this movie. It's kind of sad that the remake means that this Icelandic movie will not get the attention it deserves in other countries. The acting was excellent, the directing impeccable, and the story well-crafted with interesting characters.

Reykjavik-Rotterdam is not only a thriller, but also a family story. Although the beginning is violent, and violence is there throughout the movie, the family elements, i.e. the main character, Christophers family gives the movie depth and a realistic perspective. The comedy element is also there throughout. This excellent combination of thriller and comedy throws the audience between laugher, excitement, thrill and compassion. The part that happens in Rotterdam gives the movie a fresh peak. Baltasar Kormákur handles the main role (Christopher) brilliantly. It is nice to see him act again after an absence of the screen for quite a while. One would guess that his emphasis on working as director and producer the last years has leveled him upward as an actor. Ingvar Sigurdsson also delivers his character (Steingrimur) with fine sensitivity, as often before. There are two new upcoming stars worth to mention. Lilja Nott (Iris) is convincing as the mother of two boys and wife of Christopher, which has obviously not been too easy to handle often before due to his smuggling habit. Jóhannes Haukur (Eiríkur) has a strong presence and is convincing as the violent drug dealer. He has arrived to stay in the Icelandic scene at least. I definitely recommend Reykjavik-Rotterdam.