Frábært sálfræðilegt drama segir Davide Abbatescianni um Tryggð Ásthildar Kjartansdóttur í Cineuropa, en myndin var nýlega sýnd á kvikmyndahátíðinni í Edinborg.
Abbatescianni skrifar meðal annars:
The story, based on Auður Jónsdóttir’s best-selling book of the same name, published in 2006, has all the right ingredients to make a compelling psychological drama, and that it is. Kjartansdóttir wrote and directed this feature wisely, avoiding predictable characters and dialogues, and portraying the vicissitudes of four complex women, all with a troubled backstory and uncomfortable with their lives. Viewers will realise that the central theme here is not integration and its challenges, but rather cultural isolation and a chronic fear of strangers, deeply rooted in Icelandic society. Kjartansdóttir’s Reykjavík is a modern, wealthy city with very high standards of living, but is not exempt from prejudice and closed-mindedness, both legacies of a past characterised by remoteness and mistrust of the outside world.
Elma Lísa Gunnarsdóttir (Vultures, XL, Frost), the only professional actress to be playing a lead role here, imbues Gísella with just the right dose of uncertainty, emotional instability and obsession. It is also worth mentioning the commendable work of the other three female characters on screen, all newcomers to the acting scene.
Overall, the film’s cinematography (courtesy of DoP Ásgrímur Guðbjartsson) is visually astonishing in its simplicity and excellent at conveying the tense atmospheres of the plot as well as Gísella’s gradual evolution towards paranoia and depression. Her lavish apartment is dominated by blue-and-white reflections, chiaroscuros and dim lights, perhaps a metaphor for her troubled soul – Gísella was once a happier woman, but is now driven by self-interest, desperation and cruelty.
The pace of the narration is rather uniform but is nonetheless engaging; the arrangement and the rules established by Gísella begin well but soon spiral into her worst nightmare, as she loses control of her apartment and her sanity.
Finally, Kjartansdóttir’s first fiction feature is a great psychological drama. The movie is rich in intense dialogues, boasts an elegant mise-en-scène and demonstrates the director’s superb knowledge of the acting profession. In addition, the soundtrack, composed by Kira Kira, serves the film’s purposes well, and does so in an effective and understated manner.
Sjá nánar hér: Review: The Deposit
