FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
NÓI
Nói (Lemarquis), an albino teenager who is either too smart or
unmotivated to care about high school, dreams of escaping
the snow-covered fjord on which he lives. He continually ditches school to
wander around his small Icelandic town, visiting his alcoholic father
or ducking into his basement to daydream. Like a breathe of fresh air, Iris
(Handsdóttir),
the lovely daughter of the local bookshop owner, moves into town, and Nói
includes her into his vision of running away to a distant tropical
island. Fed up with simply dreaming, he takes action, going
as far as trying to rob the local bank, where the tellers
recognize him by name. He resorts to withdrawing money from his own
savings account, instead. This is typical of the sad humor in Noi's
predicament.
Nói is a coming-of-age tale, complete with angst and romance, set apart by
its unusual setting, subtle acting and moody score. The icy
landscape includes a
volcano, looming menacingly in the distance. Nói's seemingly
simple-minded character surprises us with occasional displays of quirky
smarts, like the
quickness with which he solves a Rubik’s Cube. Writer and
director Dagur Kári also wrote the film's score with his band Slowblow.
The
music, reminiscent of Iceland's Sigur Rós, adds an enchanting and
youthful
layer to the melancholy film. The deadpan humor is akin Aki Kaurismäki's
The Man Without a Past (2002). And although tragic, Nói is
not far removed from last year’s All the Real Girls, another depiction
of small town confinement. Caitlin Shamberg, former programming associate for the Mill Valley Film Festival
|