No Such Thing (2001)

Director:

Hal Hartley

Writer:

Hal Hartley (written by)

Release Date:

15 November 2002 (Iceland)

Genre:

Horror | Drama | Fantasy | Comedy

Tagline:

A modern day fable.

Plot:

"No Such Thing" tells the story of a young journalist who journeys to Iceland to find her missing fiancée only to encounter a mythical creature. She eventually forges a relationship with the being.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Boss | Iceland | Media | Fishing Village

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Margrét Ákadóttir	...	Rental agent
Robert John Burke	...	The Monster
Julie Anderson	...	Beautician
Sarah Polley	...	Beatrice
Anna Kristín Arngrímsdóttir	...	Sólveig
Ilene Bergelson	...	Ethel
Guðrún María Bjarnadóttir	...	Marta (as Guðrún Bjarnadóttir)
Bessi Bjarnason	...	Captain
Helgi Björnsson	...	Leó
Julie Christie	...	Dr. Anna
Stacy Dawson	...	Mugger
Maria Ellingsen	...	Karlsdóttir / Gate-Manager (as María Ellingsen)
Anthony Giangrande	...	Journalist
Erica Gimpel	...	Judy
Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson	...	First mate

Also Known As:

Monster (USA) (working title)
Skrímsli (Iceland)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief violence.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

Iceland | USA

Language:

English | Icelandic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:TV-14 (cable rating) | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Iceland:L (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Iceland

Company:

American Zoetrope

Trivia:

Burke described to Fangoria Magazine that he once decided to walk through downtown NYC in his Monster make-up, and no one gave him a second glance.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When the two men are shot in the airport, the imprint of one of the actors' "blood bag"s can be seen through his shirt.

Quotes:

The Boss: The world needs to know!
Beatrice: Why?
The Boss: What?
Beatrice: Why does the world need to know how it feels to crash into the sea?

Movie Connections:

References Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Recommended

Imagine that the original "Outer Limits" folks remade "King Kong" in their standard monster style and you have a good idea of "No Such Thing's" look and feel. Then throw in a little "Mighty Joe Young" banter, "Beauty and the Beast fashions", and "The Song of Bernadette" for good measure.

The film is a stylistic masterpiece and the banter between the beast and Beatrice (Sarah Polley) is surreal comedy at its best. If you enjoy quirky and subtly off-kilter films then the superficial story of "No Such Thing" will be a real pleasure in itself. Don't let frustration over the underlying meaning ruin the fun during the first viewing-just go with it.

The DVD does not contain a director's commentary so the viewer is left to speculate on just what this thing is really about; what themes Hartley is serious about and to what degree the obvious themes are just there for parody and laughs.

My retrospective take is that it is about the interplay of evolution and intelligent design, with the monster an artifact left over from creation. God created the monster, knowing that humankind needs fear for motivation. He expected us to have evolved beyond fear and hate of each other long before now, creating a need for the monster. But this did not happen, making the monster irrelevant and God disillusioned with humankind. Both he and the monster are bored with the stupidity they see.

God decides to intervene so the monster can go away and be put out of it's misery. He chooses Beatrice for this mission and she goes through a miracle survival experience to heighten her appreciation for life and to give her a distanced perspective free of fear and hate (the plane was going to crash with no survivors). Sarah Polley is perfectly cast as Beatrice; her Beatrice is somehow both detached and expressive. If you enjoy Polley you will love this character.

Virginia Woolf: Someone has to die Leonard, in order that the rest of us should value life more.