(2000)
3
Elbert Ventura
Hlynur (Hilmir Snær Gudnason), the protagonist of Baltasar Kormákur's debut feature, isn't shy about defining what exactly it is he does: "The nothing kind of nothing." Unemployed, disaffected, and still living with his mother (Hanna María Karlsdóttir), the aimless twentysomething is the standard-bearer for this mordant slacker comedy. The movie takes place in the titular city, the Icelandic capital, where Hlynur endures all sorts of pressing burdens: perpetual boredom, a whiny girlfriend, and the encroachment of adulthood. Into this stultifying world comes "Lola" (Pedro Almodóvar regular Victoria Abril), a flamenco instructor from Spain who gets impregnated by Hlynur but is in love with his mother. Helped by its underseen setting and a game cast, the movie proves to be a likable, if lightweight, entry in an overpopulated genre. It has its faults: the infusion of Mediterranean heat into the snowbound household is a touch formulaic, and Hlynur's knowing solipsism can at times be annoyingly affected. Kormákur largely earns our goodwill, however, with his jaunty pacing and inclusive world view, not to mention his use of a hilariously cartoonish take on the Kinks' "Lola" by Blur frontman Damon Albarn. Always assured and, at times, even flashy, 101 Reykjavík is an estimable first feature that tabs Kormákur as a name to watch.
cast-crew for 101 Reykjavík on AllMovie
101 Reykjavík (2000)
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