ronarimes
This film is based on a real life drama where an Icelandic fishing vessel sinks and 5 crew are drowned. The 6th member of the crew survives hours in bitterly cold sea and swims miles to an island where he is rescued. The acting is brilliant and a realistic portrayal of the fisherman's ordeal. I also liked the before and after build up of the main character's lifestyle and the setting of Icelandic folk living in basic and difficult conditions but sharing a camaradie and kinship. Scientists were baffled as to how this apparently unfit man survived the extreme conditions and he became something of a celebrity and underwent investigative tests in America and UK. In the end he returned to his old ways of life but I think as a wiser and better man. He was a simple hardworking regular guy who survived extreme conditions through metabolism but also his dogged determination. I found it particularly moving to see footage of the real life person.
morrison-dylan-fan
Catching up on the great Canadian Nordic Noir-inspired series Cardinal,I took a look to see what BBC 4 were replacing it with. Recently seeing the better than expected (partly) based on a true story lost at sea flick In the Heart of the Sea,I was intrigued to find BBC 4 airing a lost at sea Nordic "ripped from the headlines" movie,which led to me going back into the sea.The plot-The Westman Islands 1984:Waving goodbye to his family, Guðlaugur Friðþórsson goes and joins the rest of the crew so they can set off to sea. Going out deep into the oceans,the crew put the fishing nets out. Unexpectedly,causing the ship to sink. Getting his head above water, Friðþórsson witnesses the death of each fellow crew member. Looking across the waves.the only land Friðþórsson can see is a five hour swim away.View on the film:Lost at sea with Friðþórsson,co-writer/(with Jón Atli Jónasson) director Baltasar Kormákur makes pushes the viewer into the depths of the oceans,via thunderous waves lashing the camera and an icy score sharply being used to crack the shivering temperature against the rocks and the high winds. Looking at Kormákur's life on shore, Kormákur contrasts the clarity at sea with raw shot on VHS "flashbacks" which gives them a fading memory atmosphere.Spending most of the film with Friðþórsson on his own,the screenplay by Jónasson & Kormákur impressively surfs a wave of tension from the memory of each fallen member bring the isolation home to Friðþórsson. Along with the failed sea adventure,the writers diving into Friðþórsson's family life heightens the emotion of each stroke Friðþórsson makes to survive. Before going to the US and becoming an Icelandic sex icon (!) Ólafur Darri Ólafsson gives an excellent performance as Friðþórsson,thanks to Ólafsson unleashing his roar for survival with a firm grip on the humble roots at home,as Friðþórsson finds himself lost at sea.
vikpk
This is must see movie. It is so refreshing to watch a non-Hollywood production that is honest, well-filmed and memorable. The movie is based on true events.I liked the cinematography, learning e little bit about the life in a small island nation, and having the story unfold.The plot is not super-intense but showing the lives of the sailors before they go on the fishing trip makes the drama very realistic.A real story, of real people, well told. You will enjoy this film.No Hollywood. That's good.
Sindre Kaspersen
Icelandic screenwriter, actor, producer and director Baltasar Kormákur's eight feature film which he co-wrote with Icelandic screenwriter Jón Atli Jónasson and co-produced, is inspired by real events in the life of an Icelandic man named Guðlaugur Friðþórsson and four other men which took place in 1984 on one of the Westman Islands called Heimaey. It premiered in Iceland, was screened in the Special Presentations section at the 37th Toronto International Film Festival in 2012, was shot on locations in the North Atlantic Ocean and is an Iceland-Norway co-production which was produced by producer Agnes Johansen. It tells the story about a fisherman named Gulli who lives in a coastal town and who is few days away from heading out to the sea on a fishing boat called Breki-VE with his crew members.Finely and engagingly directed by Nordic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur, this finely paced and somewhat fictional reconstruction which is narrated mostly from the main character's point of view, draws a gripping portrayal of an Icelandic man and the crucial decision he has to make after a boat accident in the North Atlantic Ocean. While notable for its naturalistic and atmospheric milieu depictions and reverent cinematography by Icelandic cinematographer Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson, this character-driven story depicts a commendable study of character and contains a great score by composers Daniel Bjarnason and Ben Frost.This dramatic, humorous and modestly existentialistic drama which is set in the Vestmannaeyar in Iceland during a spring in 1984 and where a man ends up in a situation where the deep is below him, the sky above him and his only option is to swim or die, is impelled and reinforced by its cogent narrative structure, substantial character development and the involving and efficiently understated acting performance by Icelandic actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. A heartrending, inspirational, mythical and invigorating true story which is dedicated to Icelandic fishermen.
AD
