missjoho-1 Warning, potential spoilers...Eleven Men Out is a rare European film, and one that doesn't play for the big laughs or go for the obvious moments. Director Robert Douglas, paints a knowing and fun look at a side of Icelandic culture that few outside of the country will know. Using his previous deadpan approach, the comedic moments come from his unique skill at characterising and recognising the odd quirks that make up every day people. He takes great joy in turning stereotypes on their heads; in one gay sex scene, the lead actor is having anal sex with his teammate on the living room sofa, when his 13 year old son comes in, catches them at it, and shrieks 'fucking perverts', while dad just replies matter of factly, 'Hi son, what're you doing here?'. This is the kind of humour that is rife throughout Eleven Men Out, but sometimes, the comedy can be so deadpan, that you do have to pay attention, or you will miss it.The ending too, isn't quite as you would imagine. Again, Douglas takes an almost gleeful approach, deliberately toying with audience expectations to then deliver a low key, but yet satisfying, conclusion. My only warning is to say that this is not an Icelandic Bend It Like Beckham, a story of how the underdog does good, so if you go in not expecting that, you should enjoy this. My last comment on this subject - any film about football which doesn't actually contain hardly any scenes of football, wins my vote! Douglas is a brilliant and challenging filmmaker who, only in his early thirties now, already holds the title as one of Iceland's top film directors. I look forward to seeing what he produces in the next few years and hope that his work starts reaching global audiences.

brianbrewer i really enjoyed this film...caught it at the American Scandinavian Foundation last night here in NYC. it was a realistic, emotional, and full of humor. of course, the sexy hunky guys were a plus!! does it really rain so much in iceland? i thought bjorn and lilja were wonderful actors. i was impressed with their work. and the scene where the mother is on the bed crying...HILARIOUS and very realistic. my mother did something similar when i came out at the age of 17. so the dialogue about the dish was perfect. i thought the film did a good job of showing what a teenage son might go through with a parent coming out. i'm just glad no one killed themselves, like in most icelandic films i've seen! instead, this one ends on a really light, positive note. i wonder what the reality of gay live in iceland is...i'll have to research that. thanks, Mr. Douglas, for a very enjoyable film!

rasecz The film wastes no time getting to the meat of the story: a successful player in one of Iceland's top soccer teams reveals to the press that he is homosexual. That revelation and how it is done produces the only good laugh. For the remainder of this gay caper, the humor goes flat. (Humor is of course cultural. Maybe in Iceland they find the film funny.) The real underlying comedy is how the main character's homosexuality is the object of virulent reproach while the wife's chronic drunkenness is almost accepted as normal. As can be expected of such light fare, all ends in a positive mood and with a big hurrah for gay pride.

Martin Bradley As 'coming out' movies go this cheap and immensely cheerful Icelandic comedy is as nifty as you could wish. Ottar is his local soccer team's best player when, in the film's opening minutes, he announces to his team mates, his father and his teenage son, not to mention a local journalist there to do a sports story, that he is gay. What follows is a highly entertaining, feel-good movie about being true to yourself and winning, if not all of the people then some of the people, (the right people, presumably), round to your liberal way of thinking.It doesn't shirk away from more serious issues such as homophobia and the effect of coming out has on your wife and family, but as Ottar finds other players to join him when he is ostracized by his own team and eventually form a 'gay team' of their own, they are not interested in gay agitprop but in simply having a good time. This they manage to do despite the almost perpetual rain that seems to plague Iceland, at least when this film was made. Very enjoyable, then. All that's missing is any trace of football.