Header image  
World Film Collection  
 
    home
 

101 Reykjavik

 

 

Written and Directed by Baltasar Kormákur

Iceland-Denmark-France-Norway 2000 / Comedy / Romance / 84 min / Color / Stereo / 1.85:1 Widescreen Anamorphic / PAL /  In Icelandic with Optional English Subtitles

Eyvindur Eriendsson, Thrudur Vilhjalmsdottir, Baltasar Kormakur, Victoria Abril, Olafur Darri Olafsson, Hilmir Snaer Gudnason

A slacker finds himself dealing with girl trouble he never knew existed in this offbeat comedy set in Iceland. Hlynur (Hilmir Snær Gudnason) is a 28-year-old layabout who lives with his mother, Berglind (Hanna María Karlsdóttir), in a run-down section of Reykjavík. Though he doesn't have a job, Hlynur makes enough off the dole to spend his evenings drinking beer, and has a girlfriend, Hofi (Thrúdur Vilhjálmdóttir), who regards his lack of ambition with a mildly annoyed tolerance. Berglind decides to take in a boarder, Lola Milagros (Victoria Abril), a lovely young woman from Spain who gives dance lessons. Hlynur is instantly captivated with Lola and begins making a play for her, even though she's an open and unapologetic lesbian. In the midst of a drunken New Year's Eve party, Hlynur wears down Lola's resistance, and the two ring in the new year having sex. Lola soon discovers she's pregnant, but Hlynur is startled to learn that Lola and Berglind are now lovers and they intend to raise the child together -- meaning he's not only competing with his mother for the same woman, but that his child will be brought up as his sibling. As if this weren't enough, Hlynur soon learns that Hofi is also carrying his child. 101 Reykjavík was the debut feature from writer/director Baltasar Kormákur, and received an enthusiastic reception at the 2000 Locarno Film Festival.