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Noi (2004)
Runtime: 90 mins
Synopsis: In a tiny village located in the remote West Fjords of Iceland, Noi lives a strangely quiet life with his grandmother. A 17-year-old afflicted by the typical symptoms of teenage angst, who longs for freedom and independence, Noi makes for an excellent character study. His existence is... In a tiny village located in the remote West Fjords of Iceland, Noi lives a strangely quiet life with his grandmother. A 17-year-old afflicted by the typical symptoms of teenage angst, who longs for freedom and independence, Noi makes for an excellent character study. His existence is anything but typical given the challenges that the Icelandic climate presents. Noi must shovel the snow away from the front door of his house in order to even open the door and get out in the morning, and he passes his free time firing a rifle at the mighty ice cycles that hang threateningly from the local hills. When he's not calming his alcoholic father after fits of rage, Noi hangs out at the gas station where the beautiful daughter of the local bookshop owner works. The surprising ending, which puts a very different perspective on this otherwise basic tale of Icelandic adolescence, brings a pensive fatalism to NOI. Director-writer Dagur Kari masterfully directs the small cast of unique characters in this well-paced film, while the numbing photography of perpetual ice and snow, and a superb soundtrack of acoustic music by Slowblow give the film its reflective, somber mood. [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Tomas Lemarquis, Throstur Leo Gunnarsson, Elin Hansdottir, Anna Fridriksdottir, Hjalti Rognvaldsson
Screenwriter: Dagur Kari
Producer: Philippe Bober, Kim Magnusson, Skuli Fr. Malmquist, Thorir Snaer Sigurjonsson
DVD Info
Release:
Dec 10, 2004
DVD Features:
- Region (unknown)
- Keep Case
- Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
- Surround Sound 5.1
Additional Release Material:
- Theatrical Trailer
- Featurette
- Previews
- Deleted Scenes
Reviews
Has the deadpan, melancholic tone that brings to mind the poker-faced entertainment of Finland's Aki Kaurismäki.
Satisfaisant, mais on commence à connaitre la chanson un peu trop par cœur.
Here is an absurd black comedy that is not afraid to give us some insight into the often dark dealings of the teenage psyche.
Holds the attention with imaginative detail and a veneer of deadpan humor, like thin ice over a sea of despair
Kári's deadpan humor instills the film's emptiness with a warm glow.
A better-than- average tale of teenage angst that balances its tone between sorrow and buoyant good cheer.
Its unusual ambiance and quirky turns make it a peculiarly affecting addition to the coming-of-age genre.
The director is constantly playing off the bleakness -- as well as the beauty -- of the Icelandic surroundings.
After spending most of an hour being made to care about how Nói will solve his problems, our emotional investment evaporates like dot-com stock.
If you see only one quirky coming-of-age movie set on a remote Icelandic fiord this year, make it Noi.
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