Rams (2015)

In a remote Icelandic farming valley, two brothers who haven't spoken in 40 years have to come together in order to save what's dearest to them - their sheep.

Director:

Grímur Hákonarson

Writer:

Grímur Hákonarson

Stars:

Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Theodór Júlíusson, Charlotte Bøving

31 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sigurður Sigurjónsson	...	Gummi
Theodór Júlíusson	...	Kiddi
Charlotte Bøving	...	Katrin
Jón Benónýsson	...	Runólfur
Gunnar Jónsson	...	Grímur
Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson	...	Bjarni
Þorleifur Einarsson	...	Sindri
Ingrid Jónsdóttir	...	Eygló
Jörundur Ragnarsson	...	Villi
Viktor Már Bjarnason	...	Finnur
Ólafur Ólafsson	...	Tóti
Jenný Lára Arnórsdóttir	...	Þórey
Guðrún Sveinbjörnsdóttir	...	Hildur
Sigurlína Tryggvadóttir	...	Sigurlína
Þorsteinn Gunnar Bjarnason	...	Beggi Lögga

Storyline

In a secluded valley in Iceland, Gummi and Kiddi live side by side, tending to their sheep. Their ancestral sheep-stock is considered one of the country's best and the two brothers are repeatedly awarded for their prized rams who carry an ancient lineage. Although they share the land and a way of life, Gummi and Kiddi have not spoken to each other in four decades. When a lethal disease suddenly infects Kiddi's sheep, the entire valley comes under threat. The authorities decide to cull all the animals in the area to contain the outbreak. This is a near death sentence for the farmers, whose sheep are their main source of income, and many abandon their land. But Gummi and Kiddi don't give up so easily - and each brother tries to stave off the disaster in his own fashion: Kiddi by using his rifle and Gummi by using his wits. As the authorities close in the brothers will need to come together to save the special breed passed down for generations, and themselves, from extinction.

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Plot Keywords:

sheep | ram | sheep farm | brother brother reconciliation | brother brother relationship | 

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Taglines:

A Tragicomedy about brothers who haven't spoken in four decades

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and brief graphic nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Icelandic Film Centre Page

Country:

Iceland Denmark Norway Poland

Language:

Icelandic

Release Date:

28 May 2015 (Iceland)

Also Known As:

Bland män och får

Filming Locations:

Iceland

Box Office

Budget:

EUR1,750,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,289, 7 February 2016

Gross USA:

$149,250

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,826,583

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aeroplan Film, Det Danske Filminstitut, Film Farms

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sold to over 40 territories.

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Crazy Credits

The sheep are credited as actors.

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Connections

Remade as Rams

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Soundtracks

The Ancestors
by Atli Örvarsson
2015 Lakeshore Records

User Reviews

Rams is a lovely surprise

In an age of digital marketing saturation, social media domination and notifications of the latest Disney blockbuster being sent to you while you're sat on the loo, it's always refreshing to have a film sneak up unannounced and give you that warm fuzzy hidden gem feeling. Resembling its Icelandic counterparts, Rams is like finding a Sigur Ros in a big bag of Coldplays.

Rams follows two brothers who reside next door to each other in a remote sheep farming community in the Icelandic countryside. Having not spoken to each other for 40 years, Gummi (Sigurjónsson) and Kiddi (Júlíusson) are finally forced to deal with their strained relationship after a rare disease triggers the slaughter of their entire valleys flock. Each brother deals with the situation in his own way; Gummi having the functioning sibling role; calm and calculating with his understated intelligence and Kiddi with drink induced anger and violence.

As you would expect from a film based on the hillsides of Iceland, the scenery is stunning but is never used to build the crew's cinematography portfolio. In fact, it only adds to the evident toughness of the people's lives there, surviving a challenging livelihood with the backdrop of such natural splendour. The relationship between the farmers and their animals and how it intrinsically represents, and is inherently tied to, the entire history of their family is at times both heart-warming and heart- breaking.

What is most surprising about Rams is how it creeps up on you; how you find yourself sincerely caring for its characters towards the end of the film. You genuinely feel for the brother's relationship yet the script is so subtle in its depiction of the association between the two that the feeling comes as a real surprise when it finally hits. This is made even more remarkable considering how much of a slog the first thirty minutes are to get through.

There are sweet little comedy moments too. The brothers use a sheep dog to deliver notes to each other and at one point Gummi delivers a drunken Kiddi to the local A&E in the bucket of a digger, but these moments are infrequent and never feel like forced slapstick. The humour is always believable and acts as a nice break from the melancholy of the primary story.

Rams is a lovely surprise, a film that intentionally builds up slowly and is so understated in the development of its main characters that by the end of the film, you forget about almost everything else but the affection you have subconsciously developed for the two brothers. A sneaky little treasure of a movie whose ending will stay with you for a long time.