Björn Hlynur Haraldsson Movies
- 2007
- NR
In 1974, a young Icelandic girl met a grim fate at the hands of a murderer -- and the crime was never solved. So begins celebrated director Baltasar Kormákur's procedural thriller Jar City (or Mýrin), adapted from Icelandic writer Arnaldur Indridason's 2000 best-seller, Tainted Blood. In the present day, the jaded and exhausted detective Erlendur (Ingvar E. Sigurdsson) begins to investigate a link between that notorious unsolved crime and the homicide of a local thug, Holberg (Thorsteinn Gunnarsson). Erlendur also struggles in his private life with an overwhelming problem: the drug addiction of his own pregnant daughter, Eva Lind (Agusta Eva Erlendsdottir). Meanwhile, Örn (Atli Rafn Sigurdarson), an employee at a DNA-mapping lab, reels from the death of his own daughter, who suffered from a brain tumor. In time, the two men's lives will intersect in a myriad of ways that neither can even begin to foresee -- and the motivation for Holberg's original crime will become resoundingly clear. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ingvar E. Sigurdsson, Agusta Eva Erlendsdottir, (more)
A sports star's career takes a sudden roller coaster ride when he makes a very unexpected announcement in this comedy from Iceland. Ottar Thor (Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson) is a well-known soccer player whose life off the field isn't as successful as his career in football. Thor's marriage to a one-time beauty queen ended in a bitter divorce, his 13-year-old son Magnus (Arnmundur Ernst) would rather play video games than talk to his dad, and his obnoxious father and brother have moved in to his home. One day, while talking to a reporter after a game, Thor mentions that he's gay without really thinking about what might happen, and suddenly his world is turned upside down. The owners of Thor's team, as well as his fellow players, turn against him and kick him off the squad, while his family is more than a bit taken aback. Still eager to play, Thor takes up an invitation to join a semi-pro team coached by a friend, which already has a few gay players. Thor's presence on the team, and the media circus over his decision to come out, put a new spotlight on the gay footballers, and several more decide to move out of the closet and onto Thor's team. Suddenly Thor is a sports star again with a winning record (though a few victories come from forfeits, since some clubs are unwilling to take the field with a queer team), and his old team decides to challenge them to a special match...that just so happens to coincide with Gay Pride Day. Meanwhile, Thor decides to act on his attraction toward one of his teammates, but discovers that his dreamboat isn't much of a catch off the field. Eleven Men Out (aka Stratkarnir Okkar) received its North American premier at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Lilja Nótt, (more)
