MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

A slacker finds himself dealing with girl trouble he never knew existed in this offbeat comedy set in Iceland. Hlynur (Hilmir Snær Gudnason) is a 28-year-old layabout who lives with his mother, Berglind (Hanna María Karlsdóttir), in a run-down section of Reykjavík. Though he doesn't have a job, Hlynur makes enough off the dole to spend his evenings drinking beer, and has a girlfriend, Hofi (Thrúdur Vilhjálmdóttir), who regards his lack of ambition with a mildly annoyed tolerance. Berglind decides to take in a boarder, Lola Milagros (Victoria Abril), a lovely young woman from Spain who gives dance lessons. Hlynur is instantly captivated with Lola and begins making a play for her, even though she's an open and unapologetic lesbian. In the midst of a drunken New Year's Eve party, Hlynur wears down Lola's resistance, and the two ring in the new year having sex. Lola soon discovers she's pregnant, but Hlynur is startled to learn that Lola and Berglind are now lovers and they intend to raise the child together -- meaning he's not only competing with his mother for the same woman, but that his child will be brought up as his sibling. As if this weren't enough, Hlynur soon learns that Hofi is also carrying his child. 101 Reykjavík was the debut feature from writer/director Baltasar Kormákur, and received an enthusiastic reception at the 2000 Locarno Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Features:
  • • 16:9 anamorphic presentation
    • 5.1 Mix
    • Filmographies
    • Trailer gallery
    • Subtitle control

AWARDS

• Toronto International Film Festival

•     Won Discovery Award - 2000

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Baltasar Kormákur

• Producer:

  Baltasar Kormákur

• Screenwriter:

  Baltasar Kormákur

• Book Author:

  Hallgrimur Helgason

• Composer (Music Score):

  Damon Albarn

• Editor:

  Skule Eriksen

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Kjartan Kjartansson

REVIEW:

• Hlynur (Hilmir Snær Gudnason), the protagonist of Baltasar Kormákur's debut feature, isn't shy about defining what exactly it is he does: "The nothing kind of nothing." Unemployed, disaffected, and still living with his mother (Hanna María Karlsdóttir), the aimless twentysomething is the standard-bearer for this mordant slacker comedy. The movie takes place in the titular city, the Icelandic capital, where Hlynur endures all sorts of pressing burdens: perpetual boredom, a whiny girlfriend, and the encroachment of adulthood. Into this stultifying world comes "Lola" (Pedro Almodóvar regular Victoria Abril), a flamenco instructor from Spain who gets impregnated by Hlynur but is in love with his mother. Helped by its underseen setting and a game cast, the movie proves to be a likable, if lightweight, entry in an overpopulated genre. It has its faults: the infusion of Mediterranean heat into the snowbound household is a touch formulaic, and Hlynur's knowing solipsism can at times be annoyingly affected. Kormákur largely earns our goodwill, however, with his jaunty pacing and inclusive world view, not to mention his use of a hilariously cartoonish take on the Kinks' "Lola" by Blur frontman Damon Albarn. Always assured and, at times, even flashy, 101 Reykjavík is an estimable first feature that tabs Kormákur as a name to watch. ~ Elbert Ventura, Rovi