One day during dinner two friends decide it's time to go on a vacation to Iceland. From the start, we know this will be a special trip for these two have a few things in common and very different personalities, so we can expect that there will be a few bumps along the road. We know the setting will be exotic, and there will be after all, some drama along the way.
As we have seen in a few recent films, the setting is breathtaking and quite exotic, full of sensational vistas, waterfalls, volcanoes, and more. Part of the deal is that both friends will be adventurous while having their meals, enjoy life to the fullest, and live every minute of their journey to the fullest.
The film is charming because we feel like we are coming along. We can almost taste the fancy cuisine, witness their amazement and surprises when they can't understand what has been placed in front of them, and we want them to have fun because we would like that, too. We get to know more and more of their backgrounds and personalities. One is boisterous and outspoken, the other is more of a passive and sensitive type, and they complement each other. There are several scenes where we see their closeness, their happiness at being there, together, having survived bumpy marriages and long lives.
Just the way "Mitty" late last year, this film also presents the vastness of the land. We follow their car as it travels through desolate but majestic lands. We see the snowy peaks, the threatening skies, the cold rains, and wonder if they will be able to make it through some of their "adventures".
One aspect of the film that I found appealing is that it showed that there is no perfect vacation. There is a scene where one gets on the other's nerves, and one seeks solace and peace for a while to be able to rejoin his friends after his hike. We also realize along with them that this film has no answers but experiences, and it is a bit sad to see them standing in a bar, where all these young people are dancing and having a great time, but both realize it might just be a bit past their bedtime.
Still, there are many wonderful scenes, such as getting lost at night, meeting the Canadian photographer, getting a few looks from the younger generation who somehow appreciates the long journey these two have taken and have earned our respect and appreciation just for having lasted that long.
"Land Ho!" joins "Shirley Valentine", "Enchanted April" and a few of those gems that take us to exotic locales only to show that is what we bring with us that becomes the essential part of the experience. If we don't partake of the joys of life, we might as well, just stay home and die.
As we have seen in a few recent films, the setting is breathtaking and quite exotic, full of sensational vistas, waterfalls, volcanoes, and more. Part of the deal is that both friends will be adventurous while having their meals, enjoy life to the fullest, and live every minute of their journey to the fullest.
The film is charming because we feel like we are coming along. We can almost taste the fancy cuisine, witness their amazement and surprises when they can't understand what has been placed in front of them, and we want them to have fun because we would like that, too. We get to know more and more of their backgrounds and personalities. One is boisterous and outspoken, the other is more of a passive and sensitive type, and they complement each other. There are several scenes where we see their closeness, their happiness at being there, together, having survived bumpy marriages and long lives.
Just the way "Mitty" late last year, this film also presents the vastness of the land. We follow their car as it travels through desolate but majestic lands. We see the snowy peaks, the threatening skies, the cold rains, and wonder if they will be able to make it through some of their "adventures".
One aspect of the film that I found appealing is that it showed that there is no perfect vacation. There is a scene where one gets on the other's nerves, and one seeks solace and peace for a while to be able to rejoin his friends after his hike. We also realize along with them that this film has no answers but experiences, and it is a bit sad to see them standing in a bar, where all these young people are dancing and having a great time, but both realize it might just be a bit past their bedtime.
Still, there are many wonderful scenes, such as getting lost at night, meeting the Canadian photographer, getting a few looks from the younger generation who somehow appreciates the long journey these two have taken and have earned our respect and appreciation just for having lasted that long.
"Land Ho!" joins "Shirley Valentine", "Enchanted April" and a few of those gems that take us to exotic locales only to show that is what we bring with us that becomes the essential part of the experience. If we don't partake of the joys of life, we might as well, just stay home and die.