Throstur Leo Gunnarsson Movies
- 2008
An Icelandic crime thriller with the gloss stripped away - leaving a bleak, sad and despairing narrative - director Oskar Jonasson's Reykjavik-Rotterdam hones in on a down-and-outer at the very end of his rope. For Kristofer (Baltasar Kormakur) life has been little more than a never ending series of failures and disappointments. Among other things, he made the colossal mistake of smuggling alcohol during his tenure as a shipworker - a little stunt that promptly landed him behind bars. Now, following release, he struggles to pull his life together while working as a security guard and continually attempts to support his family. Then the opportunity arises for Kristofer to do one final tour on a freighter running from Reykjavik, Iceland, to Rotterdam, Holland. Kristofer initially embraces the opportunity to work with his old friends once again - little foreseeing the malestorm of crime into which this move will plunge him. At the time of release, some English language sources misleadingly categorized this film as a comedy. As the above synopsis indicates, nothing could be further from the truth. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Baltasar Kormákur, Victor Löw, (more)
With Bruoguminn (AKA White Night Wedding), Icelandic cause-célébré director Baltasar Kormákur updates the Chekhov play Ivanov and geographically transports it to the island of Flatey, just off the Icelandic coast. At the outset of the tale, literature professor Jon prepares to wed onetime student Thora, the daughter of the region's most prosperous clan. Sadly, however, disadvantageous circumstances threaten to stand in the way of the couple's happiness, including a fiscal dispute between the family of the bride and the family of the bridegroom, and by Jon's complicated past - a past that involves a prior marriage that gave the young man grave self-doubts and made him feel deeply unworthy. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hilmir Snær Gudnason, Margrét Vihjálmsdóttir, (more)
- 2006
When an ambulance chasing tabloid reporter travels deep into the highlands of Iceland to investigate the death of a power station security guard, he quickly discovers that he isolated locals don't take kindly to strangers. Baldur is well known by his colleagues for his dogged reporting skills, but when he first hears the story of a security guard who died under semi-mysterious circumstances he suspects that there isn't much there to keep his readers glued to the page. When his mother reveals that the security guard in question was the father he never met, however, Baldue sets out to get to the bottom of the story against the vehement objections of his editor. Upon arriving at the power station posing as the new security guard, the writer quickly discovers that he will have an amazing story to tell if he can only manage to get out alive. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Throstur Leo Gunnarsson, Elva Ósk Ólafsdóttir, (more)
Noi Albinoi is the feature-length debut from Icelandic filmmaker Dagur Kari. Set in an isolated fjord during the dead of winter, teenager Noi (Tomas Lemarquis) is stuck living with his grandma Lina (Anna Fridriksdottir). His mother is gone and his father, Kiddi (Throstur Leo Gunnarsson), is busy battling alcoholism. Although he's incredibly bright, Noi gets kicked out of school for cutting class and setting up clever pranks. With nothing to do in the frozen wilderness, he eventually meets gas station attendant Iris (Elin Hansdottir) and the two start a gentle romance. Noi then gets the idea to rob the town bank and take off with Iris, but it doesn't work out as planned. The moody original musical score is from the director's band Slowblow. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tomas Lemarquis, Throstur Leo Gunnarsson, (more)
