I & I - 2011, Qupperneq 43

43I&I
undercurrent
Right off the hop I’ll tell you the only major complaint you’ll
find in this review of Árni Ásgeirsson’s 2010 film Undercur-
rent (original title: Brim) is that I didn’t get around to seeing it
sooner.
The film follows the crew of the fishing trawler Undercurrent
RE 29 as they come to terms with the tragic death of one of their
own aboard the ship.
Whether catching a glimpse of a ship out at sea while walking
along the ocean or marveling at the sheer size of the fishing ves-
sels docked in Reykjavík harbor, I’m utterly fascinated by what
fishermen do.
Being on a boat out at sea for an extended period of time is
one of my biggest fears; I can hardly make it through a video
that features an Icelandic trawler “dancing like a cork on top of
crazy waves” before my palms become clammy and my stom-
ach starts turning.
This film highlights that being a fisherman is a way of life, not
a job you can leave at the office, so to speak.
Another reason I loved this film was the all-star cast.
Undercurrent comes close to including almost all of those who
I consider to be today’s best Icelandic actors, although it took
me nearly half of the film to positively confirm that yes, the dark-
haired, goatee-clad character of Saevar was indeed played by
my favorite Icelandic actor Ólafur darri Ólafsson (I Hunt Men)—
yet another indication of his ability to transform into any role, be
it comedic or dramatic.
However, now that I think of it, I’m not entirely sure if Ólafsson
had any lines of dialogue in the entire film. But, like any talented
actor, he still made his mark with his ability to say just as much
with a look as he can delivering a monologue.
The captain of the ship, Anton, is played by veteran actor Ing-
var Eggert Sigurdsson (Jar City). Nína dögg Filippusdóttir (Chil-
dren) plays drífa, the niece of Captain Anton who comes aboard
to fill in for the crewmember who recently died.
Not surprisingly, she has her work cut out for her when it
comes to settling in. It’s not often you hear of fisherwomen, and
it was certainly interesting to get a sense of life on the ship from
another perspective.
In terms of style, the gritty and realistic look of the film is per-
fectly suited to its content. Undercurrent takes place mostly on
an old trawler, which makes for an interesting set.
Without a doubt, Undercurrent ranks as one of the best Ice-
landic films I have seen to date and is most definitely worth get-
ting your hands on to get swept away in the story just as I did.
mAmmA gógó
Mamma Gógó (2010), directed by Fridrik Thór Fridriksson, is
based on the director’s mother and is above all a touching
tribute. The mother comes through as a much-loved and influ-
ential person in his life based on what we see in the film.
I suppose the film is a biopic of sorts, as at the center of the
film is a version of Fridrik himself, a character billed as “The di-
rector” in the credits, set around the time his film Children of
Nature (Börn Náttúrunnar) was released in Icelandic theaters.
The film traces The director’s financial troubles as a result
of having invested everything he had in the film (Children of
Nature) only for him to realize that his target audience for the
film was too old; they were either dead or had one foot in the
grave.
Actor Hilmir Snaer Gudnason is cast as the lead and as usual,
he does not disappoint with his portrayal of The director, who is
also a son, father and husband dealing with the strains of family,
love and money.
But bank statements and corrupt officials aren’t the focus of
the film, rather Mamma Gógó is more about the title charac-
ter Gógó, The director’s aging mother who we see progressing
through the stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
The sentimentality and profundity of this film sneak up on
you, and I think it has something to do with the humor that the
film captures so brilliantly. Sometimes life gets outrageous or
sad enough that all there’s left to do is laugh. In this film, as in
life, one moment you’re laughing and the next you’re brought
to tears.
Kristbjörg Kjeld delivers a superb performance as Gógó and
manages to capture the humor, frustration and fear of someone
who is essentially losing parts of herself to Alzheimer’s. Gunnar
Eyjólfsson, who plays Gógó’s late husband, visits her in appari-
tions that add an interesting element of mysticism to the film.
There is layer upon layer in Mamma Gógó, including referenc-
es and footage of Fridriksson’s past films which create a fasci-
nating intertextuality within the film.
But perhaps what is most notable is the inclusion of the black
and white footage from scenes of the 1962 film 79 af stödinni
which also featured Kjeld and Eyjólfsson together as a couple.
And so it is through his exploration of the themes of love,
commitment, family, and life in general that Fridriksson’s film
ends up not only paying homage to his mother, but to anyone
who has had to say goodbye.