Jón Ólafsson Movies
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)
One of the great stories of doomed love is given a new screen interpretation in this historical drama. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, King Donnchadh (David O'Hara) of Ireland has become the de facto ruler of England, but one of his underlings, Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell), dreams of uniting British forces with an eye toward self-rule. One of Marke's most valuable allies is Tristan (James Franco), Marke's protégé, who has become a brave warrior since he was rescued by the lord after his parents were murdered by Irish forces during a battle. While Marke and Tristan dream of banishing Ireland's presence in England, Tristan has a secret he's been hiding from Marke -- after suffering serious wounds during a hard-fought battle, he was rescued and nursed back to health by Isolde (Sophia Myles), King Donnchadh's daughter, and the two fell deeply in love. But the couple were separated after Tristan returned to England, and when King Donnchadh attempts to quell the British uprising by staging a tournament among the nation's greatest warriors, with an extreme and rather personal surprise in store for Tristan.
Tristan & Isolde was directed by Kevin Reynolds, and produced in part by Ridley Scott, who attempted to bring the story to the screen back in the 1970s. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Tristan & Isolde was directed by Kevin Reynolds, and produced in part by Ridley Scott, who attempted to bring the story to the screen back in the 1970s. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Franco, Sophia Myles, (more)
Jane Campion directs the erotic thriller In the Cut, based on the best-selling suspense novel by Susanna Moore. Set in New York City during the summertime, the film is centered on Frannie Avery (Meg Ryan), a middle-class English teacher in the midst of researching a book project about colloquial language. One night she accidentally witnesses a sexual situation involving a suspected killer, which may make her valuable to a police investigation. When Detective Malloy (Mark Ruffalo) comes to her apartment to interview her about a neighborhood murder, she becomes intensely attracted to him. Although they are not sure if they can completely trust each other, Frannie and Malloy start up a passionate love affair. Meanwhile, the killer remains on the loose and the list of suspects includes Malloy's partner, Rodriguez (Nick Damici), and Frannie's student Cornelius (Sharrieff Pugh). Jennifer Jason Leigh stars as Frannie's half-sister, Pauline. In the Cut was shown at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, (more)
- 1986
In a drama filled with symbolism about the relationship between men and beasts (in this case reindeer), Helgi (played by Trostur Gennarsson) is a young writer with a problem. He and his girlfriend settle near a fjord in a remote area, where he should be able to pursue his craft without being disturbed. But he continually obsesses about the fact he was abandoned by his mother as a child -- she left him to take up with a man who specialized in reindeer research. Consequently, Helgi often dreams about herds of reindeer. As the writer's mind wraps around his childhood trauma, he comes to identify the man who stole his mother away with a particular reindeer. After that blurry conflation, he slips deeper into his odd psychosis. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edda Heidrun Backmann, Johann Sigurdarson, (more)
