Sindre Kaspersen
Icelandic screenwriter, producer and director Friðrik Þor Friðriksson's sixth feature film which he produced, was written by Icelandic author Einar Már Guðmundsson and is an adaptation of a novel from 1993 by Einar Már Guðmundsson which is inspired by real events in the life of his brother named Pálmi Örn Guðmundsson. It premiered in Iceland, was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 25th Toronto International Film Festival in 2000, was shot on location in Iceland and is an Iceland-Denmark-Norway-Sweden-Germany co-production. It tells the story about a drummer and painter in his thirties named Páll who lives in a house in Reykjavik, Iceland with his father named Olaf who works as a taxi-driver, his mother named Gudrun, his sister named Svana and his brother named Haraldur. When Páll is not in his room trying to capture the inner landscapes and volcanoes of our souls which he aspires to do he tells his sister incredible stories and spends some of his time with his friend named Rögnvaldur whom is becoming a dentist, and one day he approaches an upper-class woman at a library named Dagný who lives with her mother.Distinctly and subtly directed by Nordic filmmaker Friðrik Þor Friðriksson, this finely paced and somewhat fictional tale which is narrated by and mostly from the main character's point of view, draws a heartfelt and reflective portrayal of a philosophical and poetic Icelandic man who after being told by his girlfriend that their relationship is over begins to experience a headache which he later learns from a doctor might be a headache in his heart. While notable for it's naturalistic and atmospheric milieu depictions, distinct cinematography by Danish cinematographer Harald Gunnar Paalgard, sterling production design by Icelandic production designer Jón Steinar Ragnarssson, costume design by Icelandic costume designer Helga I. Stefánsdottir and use of sound, colors and light, this character-driven and dialog-driven story about Schizophrenia, interpersonal relations and societal perceptions of mental illness where an inspirited though sick man goes through severe changes in his personality and ends up at a psychiatric hospital called Kleppur, depicts an exceptionally humane and internal study of character and contains a masterful score by Icelandic composers Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson and Sigur Rós.This literary, biographical, mysterious and lingering drama from the early 2000s which is set in the capital city of Iceland in the late 20th century and where an gracious friendship arises between an artistic man, a self-declared songwriter and singer of Beatles songs named Óli who wants to become the next president, a man named Viktor who believes he is Hitler and a man named Pétur who thinks he has travelled the solar system and written a thesis on German author Friedrich von Schiller in China, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, substantial character development, rhythmic continuity, profound humour, existentialistic and singular dialog, insightful views on life, graceful aura, comment by Páll : "Nei, ég er ekki dauður." and the wonderful acting performances by Icelandic actors Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, Baltasar Kormákur, Björn Jönindur Friðbjörnsson, Hilmir Snær Guðnasson, Þor Tulinus and Icelandic actress Halldóra Geirharðsdottir. A versatile, cinematographic and life-affirming homage which gained, among several other awards, the Edda Award for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Music and Best Sound Design at the 2nd Edda Awards in 2000.
Born_Free
The movie is about Paul(Páll) a young man who sinks into the harsh world of insanity and his stay at the mental hospital "Kleppur" and his friends. Victor(Viktor) who during his education in England started to think he was Adolf Hitler. Peter(Pétur) who took to much LSD and tried to fly of a roof top the fall left no broken bones or physical damage only insanity, he is obbsesed with China. Oli Beatle (Óli Bítill) Oli has spent most time at the hospital although Viktor is slightly older then him, he claims he wrote every single Beatles song and send it to them by telepathyThe novel is better then the movie and covers all of Pauls life from birth to his death, there is a long time since I saw the movie but if I remember it right the movie doesn't cover Pauls childhood."Englar Alheimsins" is funny,sad and powerful if you haven't seen it watch it NOW! and read the novel first it makes the movie better
redrum-10
If this film doesn't at least be selected for an oscar nominee for best foreign film I'm going to stop waking at nights watching the event. Fridrik Thor Fridriksson has proven that money isn't the key to making a good movie but originality. Out of a cold country comes a warm but thought-provoking film of a mentally ill man and his struggle against an insane world. After an insight like this, you question whether or not the man is crazy or the world he lives in.
