Stóra planið (2008)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Olaf de Fleur Johannesson

Writers:

Omar Orn Hauksson (script consultant)
Olaf de Fleur Johannesson (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 March 2008 (Iceland)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Almost a Kung Fu Film

Plot:

Ashamed for being a debt-collecting thug, David believes that he is an ugly duckling waiting to become a swan. Through an unlikely mentor he finds out that life has indeed something very special in store for him.

Cast

Robert 'Toshi' Kar Yuen Chan	...	Shun-Yee
Einar Örn Einarsson	...	Head Waiter
Benedikt Erlingsson	...	Snati
Erpur Eyvindarson	...	Elvar
Jón Gnarr	...	Radgjafi
Þorsteinn Guðmundsson	...	Gunnolfur
Hilmir Snær Guðnason
Ísgerður Elfa Gunnarsdóttir	...	Wolfi's girlfriend
Omar Orn Hauksson	...	Video Dude
Hjálmar Hjálmarsson	...	Sveinbjorn
Michael Imperioli	...	Alexander
Jóhann G. Jóhannsson	...	Asgeir
Sigurjón Kjartansson	...	Oskar
Zlatko Krickic	...	Mustang
Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir	...	Julia
Yu Lu	...	The Higher Force
Stefan C. Schaefer	...	Wolfi
Pétur Jóhann Sigfússon	...	David
Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson	...	Magnus
Pattra Sriyanonge	...	Chinese Chica
Unnur Vilhjálmsdóttir	...	Anna
Eggert Þorleifsson	...	Harald

Also Known As:

The Higher Force (International: English title)

Runtime:

Iceland:90 min

Country:

Iceland

Language:

English | Icelandic | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Filming Locations:

Iceland

Company:

Cicala Filmworks

Trivia:

Olaf met actor/screenwriter Stefan Schaefer at the Berlinale Talent Campus in 2003. Since then they've worked on many films together.

Unusual, but great stuff

It's not every day that I see as unusual film as this here in Iceland. It's something guaranteed to be different for anyone who sees it. The pointlessness of being seems to be the core theme of this film based on a book by an Icelandic author.

The acting is good, but what won me over was the characters. Petur Johann, our (in my opinion) most promising actor holds the film up with even tempo. All others do well - I especially liked Eggert Thorleifsson as the grumpy teacher but most of all, from the side characters Micheal Imperioli did a great job. He could have been too big for this film but he manages to fall with the Icelandic cast. And of course I have to mention Stefan Schaefer as the adorable Wolfi.

The editing, filming was good, a little to gritty at times, but kept a nice overall look, and locations were great. Almost no nature shot, which is was Icelandic films often thrive on.

Unusual, but great stuff.