Reykjavík-Rotterdam

I am going to write something that is seemingly in sharp contrast to my overall impression expressed by the percentage rating at the end of this review. This film is a testament to the high level of Icelandic cinema and its exceptional position in European cinema considering its size and population. According to the latest census, Iceland has about 313,000 inhabitants, and yet, it is capable of producing more genre films than many countries of medium size. Icelandic filmmakers dedicate themselves to honest genre films, such as crime stories. However, this film would work much better if it were shot in a serious tone as a serious crime film about a group of sailors who wanted to earn extra money by smuggling untaxed alcohol, rather than as a cool-looking crime comedy that nods to Guy Ritchie's style. Icelanders simply do not have suitable types of actors for that, and it does not fit their national temperament and the atmosphere of the raw Icelandic landscape. The Ritchie-style screenplay contains too many motifs and characters that are not properly developed, so although the result is watchable and contains everything that the audience expects from such a production, it falls far short of expectations for great entertainment. It is simply average and my overall impression is 55%. (29/11/2011)