C Jo ***WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS***101 Reykjavik takes place in the heart of Iceland's capital, Reykjavik. Hlynur, a 30 year old "mama's boy", is happily jobless, living at home, filling his days with porn and his evenings at the pub. After years of idleness, Hlynur suddenly faces a promising relationship, threats from the unemployment agency, his absent, alcoholic father, his mom coming out of the closet and learns he is the father of his mother's girlfriend's child (opps). Life is coming at Hlynur hard and he is turning and running away as fast as he can. Director Baltasoar Kormakir uses the blustery Icelandic winters to portray Hlynur's life coming at him hard and fast. Often, we see Hlynur walking through the streets of Reykjavik with the snow and ice blasting him in the face, coating his glasses and beard. His only escapes are home with his mother and the pub. Even during Hlynur's darkest moment we see the ice and the snow consuming him; his suicide attempt was to let the snow and ice bury him. However, Hlynur comes to realize that even when life is coming at with all its fury, the best you can do is stand up, brush yourself off and push forward. One of the storms Hlynur needs to get through is coming to terms with his mother's announcement that she and Lola are lovers. For most people, especially American viewers, hearing your mother come out of the closet as a lesbian can be quite a shock. For Hlynur, however, it is really no big deal. He tells her that its "great" and assures her he has no problem with her sexual orientation. What I think this represents is the general notion that people who identify as GLBT are typically accepted. Indeed, Nordic and Scandinavian countries are well known for their progressive public policies regarding those who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual. In Iceland, at the time of 101 Reykjavik's release (2000), same sex sexual activity had long been decriminalized, there was equal age of consent and anti-discrimination laws protecting housing, employment and civil rights (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Iceland). While it is heartwarming to see Hlynur accept his mother and her lover, we still get a glimpse of anti-gay attitudes. Hlynur's drinking buddies and friends at the pub tease him and make fun of his mother for being lesbian. This is a good reminder that although governments can be accepting and accommodating for GLBT people, the public's attitude may not be as friendly. While Hlynur accepts his mother for who she is and clearly loves her, his feelings towards the rest of his family are less than amiable. To Hlynur, his extended family is another extension of the rut his life is stuck in. Dreading the Christmas Day dinner, Hlynur explains to his mother he cannot stand going to his sister's house because it is out in the middle of nowhere. What Hlynur labels as "nowhere" is really not far from the city and is still considered a suburb; hardly the middle of nowhere. However, without the nightlife and bar scene of Reykjavik, the suburb seems lifeless. The Christmas dinner is a painful experience for not only Hlynur, but everyone else as well. The dinner table is crowded and cramped and no one has anything to say. After a few awkward and failed attempts at conversation ("so how is everyone?"), the family falls back to the safety of the weather. After dinner, we continue to see the conversation struggling as the men talk about the new sofa. Trying to save the evening, Hlynur's sister puts on the home video of Christmas dinner from the previous year. There they sit and watch and the very same people talk about the weather and new items. It seems like every aspect of Hlynur's life is in repeat. In this scene, we see a rather disturbing and humorous daydream of Hlynur shooting his extended family; symbolizing that he is coming to a breaking point and he needs to take some control of his life. Hlynur's experiences at Christmas dinner are a good reminder that although family is important, they can be one of the factors that keep people stuck in ruts. Once Hlynur is able to come to terms with all the different aspects of his life and find a way for them to live in harmony with each other, he starts to realize there is more to life than living off unemployment and porn. He takes great care of his brother/son, finally gets a job, and is able to live with his mother and Lola. Most people do not live in cold, isolated areas like Reykjavik but from time to time, people do find themselves stuck in life's ruts like Hlynur. The small, isolated island of Iceland was a good backdrop to the feelings and experiences Hlynur was facing. The strong elements were beating Hlynur in the face and yet he was able to move on. Reykjavik 101 is a hopeful film that shows audiences that even when life seems dead and desperate, we can always brush ourselves off and move forward. In all, 101 Reykjavik is a heartwarming and refreshing film about pulling yourself up and bringing your life back together. I would definitely recommend it for mature audiences who can handle sexually explicit scenes and themes.

anas This icelandic movie draws a very authentic image of Iceland's capital Reykjavík. Famous for its bars and clubs and nightlife. Reykjavík can also be a lonely place for someone like Hlynur, played competently by Hilmir Snær Guðnason. Hlynur is a young healthy man still living with his mother, we see him sleep through most of his days and spend the rest of his life watching porn or clubbing at night. His event-less boring life takes a slight disturbance with the introduction of his mother's friend Lola, played by the wonderful Victoria Abril, love affairs start showing up between the triangle of Hlymur, his mother and Lola.Hilmir Snær Guðnason does a very good job in portraying the delusional Hlymur, we feel his emptiness and sense of unfulfillment throughout the movie, we even sympathize with him because he is a very likable character which makes us take interest in what goes on with him and what will happen to him next. His interactions with Lola are the highlights of the movie without a doubt because it's the only time that he finally shows any kind of emotion towards another human being.101 Reykjavík is beautifully shot, the gorgeous landscapes of Iceland and the busy nightlife serve as a wonderful backdrop to the story, by the end of the film you almost feel like you have been to Reykjavík. The movie has also a very good dialogue with many witty moments be it from Hlymur conversations with his friends or his monologues. All in all, this is an entertaining, charming movie that takes us to the life of a young man with so much going on in his head and not much to do.

Masterofthesky1985 I stumbled upon this film by mistake in the movie theater and I really enjoyed it. Not only does it give an accurate portrayal of life in Iceland, but it explores the human spirit and soul. The music is absolutely sensational, and writer/director/actor Kormákur's photography is absolutely marvelous. The story itself is bizarre yet entertaining, surreal but pleasant and definitely a fresh alternative to the Hollywood blockbusters. The story digs into human nature, the love for ambition, our way of life, and most importantly, the way apathy rules our lives. It is, if you will, a coming of age film, a film of self discovery, and the outcomes are very much deserved and liked. Everyone with a love for European cinema or good quality cinema will enjoy this film.

huygens I have been living in Iceland for a year and a half and got a picture of the country, its people and its capital, Reykjavík (I actually even lived in the 101 postal code in Reykjavík). This movie is really highlighting a type of persons that I have met quite often in Iceland. I think it is a clear and accurate picture of an important part of the young population. The main actor, Hilmir Snær Guðnason (Hlynur), is really expressing this disillusion that you can feel while enjoying Reykjavík's night life. If you want to go to this marvelous country or if you just interested how one can survived after a few months winter night, this is the movie to go watching. But do not worry, there is more than that in Iceland.