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It also helps that Mikkelsen plays the role with remarkable subtlety, letting the viewer in on his thought processes without ever making things obvious. This gives his emotions almost overpoweringly authentic kick, including his connection to this young woman he is unable to communicate with (she is part of a Thai rescue team). Smaradottir has little to do but lie there grimacing in pain, so her efforts to survive are much more internalised, but she manages to evoke her own sense of steely desperation.

Through all of this, both Penna and Mikkelsen hold their nerve, refusing to give into the various big dramatic angles offered by the premise. This isn't a character study like Tom Hanks' Cast Away, it's a gritty, almost doc-style depiction of nervy resolve and methodical skill. There is the nagging click of a plot structure as various things happen, so it's difficult to ever feel like we're watching anything but a movie, even if nothing goes as expected. But it's properly gruelling, packed with both grim authenticity and a haunting sense of hope.

themes, language, violence

20.Feb.19

Performances are earthy and natural, even in moments when Honore indulges in evocative imaginative touches. Interaction is complex and often realistically awkward or interrupted, which allows the cast to add clever angles to the characters. Both Lacoste and Deladonchamps are likeable and prickly at the same time, making decisions that some people condemn, but always trying to do their best. It's refreshing and telling to see scenes portrayed with this level of nuance, both in the acting and the filmmaking.

Each scene is set out in a way that forces the audience to think, reconsidering the characters and their connections as well as the way movies usually portray these kinds of things. These men aren't necessarily gay or straight, they love who they love. Honore never forces a plot point, letting the events unfold with a rare narrative integrity. He also includes tiny details that tellingly ground each moment. So even when the narrative seems to be circling aimlessly or turning inexorably bleak, it's clear that this is coming from a personal passion.

themes, language, sexuality

3.Feb.19

At the centre, Geirhardsdottir delivers a full-on performance that grabs hold from the opening shot of her firing an arrow to short-circuit an industrial power line. Charging across mountaintops is contrasted with her work as a choir director and a more internalised exploration of a woman in her late-40s finally realising her dream to become a parent. She also beautifully plays the interaction between Halla and Asa, who are intriguingly contrasted as flip sides of the same coin.

The ideas swirling around this story are so important that they sometimes threaten to overwhelm the quietly involving drama. Thankfully, Erlingsson keeps the themes in the background, letting them gurgle meaningfully through everything that happens, rather than shouting anything too loudly. Certainly, Halla is fiercely dedicated to her cause, worried that big companies are threatening humanity's future. And in the film's final scenes these ideas take on a much more intensely personal slant that leaves the audience with plenty to chew on.

themes, language

6.Mar.19