101 Reykjavik

**1/2

Reviewed by: Angus Wolfe Murray

101 Reykjavik
"This is bizarre in its ugliness."

During the week in winter, Reykjavik is "like some backwater in Siberia". At the weekends, it becomes a running orgy.

Hlynur (Hilmir Snaer Gudnason) is 28, stays with his mother, gets up at noon, lives on state benefit because he can't be bothered to work, watches porn on TV and takes long baths. His only exercise is walking to the pub.

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He treats women like sluts, especially Hofi who has bad sex with him at the weekend.

A Flamenco teacher from Spain, called Lola (Victoria Abril), comes to stay over Christmas. When his mother goes away for a few days to visit relatives, Hlynur and Lola have a wild time. On her return, his mother announces that she and Lola are lovers. Shortly afterwards, Lola says she's pregnant. Hofi says she's pregnant, too. Hlynur walks to the top of a mountain and tries to kill himself.

Icelandic films have a reputation for quirky humour and ensemble works of considerable passion. This is bizarre in its ugliness. Hlynur has no redeeming qualities and the depiction of Reykjavik at play is misogynistic and drunken.

Reviewed on: 31 May 2001
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101 Reykjavik packshot
A hedonistic young man gets more than he bargained for when a Spanish flamenco dancer moves in with he and his mother.
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Read more 101 Reykjavik reviews:

Nicola Osborne ****1/2

Director: Baltasar Kormákur

Writer: Hallgrímur Helgason, Baltasar Kormákur

Starring: Victoria Abril, Hilmir Snaer Gudnason, Hanna Maria Karlsdottir, Olafur Darri Olafsson, Baltasar Kormakur

Year: 2000

Runtime: 100 minutes

BBFC: 18 - Age Restricted

Country: Iceland

Festivals:

EIFF 2000
Glasgow 2020

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