Reykjavík Grapevine - 16.07.2018, Blaðsíða 38

A Nordic
Requiem
For Junkies
‘Let Me Fall' premieres at Háskólabíó
Words: Valur Grettisson Photo: Stills from movie
Film
See “Let Me Fall” with English
subtitles at Háskólabíó
Iceland is no exception when it
comes to the opioid crisis grip-
ping the Nordic countries, and
of course, the U.S., as we speak.
When I was younger (I was born in
1980) we only had what we called
‘disco-drunks.’ Those were peo-
ple that used cocaine, amphet-
a m i n e s a n d
other products
to keep them
a ler t enoug h
t o c o n t i n u e
drinking heavily. Icelanders have
made movies about these drunks.
‘Blossi’ is probably the most no-
table attempt to capture the ‘90s
rave generation that also popped
drugs like ecstasy while they
danced to the heavy beats of Un-
derworld. Since then, we haven’t
really documented the miserable
reality of junkies even though lot
has changed in the world of drugs.
Something fun
‘Let Me Fall’ (“Lof Mér Að Falla”)
is the third full length film di-
rected by Baldvin Z, the second is
the Icelandic smash hit, ‘Life in
a Fishbowl.’ The story in ‘Let Me
Fall’ is about two teenage girls,
that become lovers and find ease
in drugs. Not because they have
had a bad childhood, not because
they were subjected to violence as
children, or worse. They are just
human, curious and looking for
something more. Something fun.
Instead of solely focusing on
the young and
f a s c i n a t i n g
girls in their
slow, dreamy
a nd d r ug g ie
decline, we also follow them into
the future. Where one is battling
fiercely with her own conscience,
while the other one has convert-
ed into the shadow figure of the
injection drug addict. This is a
very powerful approach to the
story, and unveils the true horror
of their past, while telling both
stories simultaneously. One of the
girls has to deal with a lifelong ad-
diction, while the other is a recov-
ering addict and must make peace
with her own actions as a junkie.
A grim showdown is inevitable.
Stunning performances
What is truly astonishing about
the movie, is how well acted it is.
The two main characters are played
by young women with no prior act-
ing experience. They execute their
parts almost immaculately. The
older characters are in the hands
of very experienced actors, and
it is safe to say that Kristín Þóra
Haraldsdóttir is absolutely stun-
ning in her role as the main char-
acter, Magnea, in her older years.
The incredible performance of
all the actors is obviously the work
of a very skilled director, as Bald-
vin Z has proven to be. He shows
us a very compelling, natural
image of the life of young trou-
bled teens. He also shows us the
the difficult pregnability of the
parents, and their heartbreaking
fight to save their child. My eyes
filled with tears when Magnea’s
father (played by Þorsteinn Bach-
mann), makes his last tragic at-
tempt to save his daughter’s soul.
Before life truly began
This movie is a rare gem where
everything comes together; ac-
tors, music, story and cinematog-
raphy. Combined you’ll find a
moving story that tells a story you
can find all over the world. ‘Let me
fall’ is an unpretentious and raw
modern cautionary tale about a
danger that lurks in every soci-
ety and effects us all. It tells its
story with respect for those that
have lived this nightmare and
survived, and for those who died
before their lives truly began.
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FILM
“A grim showdown
is inevitable.”
gpv.is/film
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