Brúðguminn (2008)

Director:

Baltasar Kormákur

Writers:

Baltasar Kormákur (screenplay) and
Ólafur Egilsson (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 January 2008 (Iceland)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Jon, a middle-aged professor is going to get married tomorrow, for the second time, to one of his ex-students half his age...

Plot Keywords:

One Word Title

Awards:

7 wins

Cast

Hilmir Snær Guðnason	...	Jón
Margrét Vilhjálmsdóttir	...	Anna
Laufey Elíasdóttir	...	Þóra
Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson	...	Börkur
Jóhann Sigurðarson	...	Lárus
Ólafía Hrönn Jónsdóttir	...	Sísí
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson	...	Sjonni
Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir	...	Matthildur
Ólafur Egilsson	...	Séra Ólafur
Karl Guðmundsson	...	Jon's father
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Herdís Þorvaldsdóttir	...	Kristín

Also Known As:

White Night Wedding (Europe: English title)

Runtime:

Canada:96 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Iceland

Language:

Icelandic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Filming Locations:

Flatey, Iceland

Company:

Blueeyes Productions

Trivia:

Iceland's official entry for the 2009 foreign-language Oscar.

White Night shines bright

I saw this last month at the 2009 Palm Springs International Film Festival. This is the fifth film from writer/director and noted Icelandic stage director Baltasar Kormakur. Baltasar and Olafur Egil Egilsson wrote the screenplay as a loose adaptation of Anton Chekhov's stage play Ivanov and the film was developed simultaneously with a stage play that featured the same cast. This was Iceland's official entry as Best Foreign Language Film to the Academy Awards. It has won several awards in Iceland and worldwide and was one of Iceland's biggest domestic box office hits. The setting is on the remote Flatey Island off the north shore of Iceland. University professor Jon (Hilmirsnaer Gudnasson) has an impending marriage to Thora (Laufey Eliasdottir), a former student of his and a girl half his age and only one year after his wife committed suicide. Thor's parents Laurus (Johann Sigurdarsson) and Sisi (Olafia Hronn Jonsdottir) run the islands only store, hotel and tavern and have had a bad business arrangement with Jon. A great cast and a great performance by Thorstur Leo Gunnardsson who plays Jon's rowdy and overbearing friend Borkur who has arrived on the island for the wedding. Great character development central cast and peripheral characters in this romantic drama/comedy. Excellent cinematography by Bergstein Bjorgulfsson and editing by Elisabet Ronaldsdott with art design by Atili Gretarsson and Gretar Reynisson. I would give this an 8.5 out of 10 and recommend it.