101 Reykjavik – the middle finger of life
Hlynur is the unter-mann
There is chaos at the uttermost limits and microscopic details. In between, everything looks normal. Like Prometheus’ liver, Hlynur, is born again every weekend, waking up to say ‘Life is a break from Death’. He is fucked up from head to toe and worst, doesn’t care.
Thirstur is a rascal
Uncouth and careless Thirstur is that cool vagabond who could piss everyone off, entertaining himself and the unaffected bystander. He is a sadist’s delight. Lives his rude life, smells the ‘animal’ porn video cassette. His pickup line goes like
Shall I buy you a glass or rather would you have the money instead?
Hofy is not good enough
Fuck Off. She speaks in Bose precision decibels, audible even in the noisiest party floor. High on stuff, she is in love with Hlynur, or is she?
Mom is the Purchasing Institute
Berglind is the serene, single mother of Hlynur, is in such a stage of life, that she can neither live for herself nor for others. Middle aged, beautiful, and lesbian…
Lola is the visible hand of God
The intervention of god, like lighting, earthquake or a tsunami, Lola is shattering. Extreme sexual potency and charm could destroy anyone in a moment. Lola is destruction personified.
When these characters are thrown into an entangle, what reveals is an never before seen depiction of life in a land where ‘Even the ghosts are bored to death.Essentially, ‘101 Reykjavik’ is a coming-to-terms-with-life tale of Hlynur and the society he lives in, alike. There are a section who resist change, another who assist and others who just prefer to exist in the present. This film expounds the inability of humans to resist the will of life. We have, but, no other choice other than to be one more droplet flowing along with the frivolous current, up and downstream, from this bank to the other.
Hlynur’s life has practically nothing to offer, to anyone. Party hard, invariably fucks Hofy in the weekend, finally dies in between tobacco and snowflakes. Wakes up to life again, to start all over. In the creator’s grand plans, maybe sex wasn’t meant for men. Hlynur, sexually retarded, was mechanical in his act with Hofy and could not get laid often with different women of his choice. He does not know what to do with the gift of life, so he prefers to do ‘nothing’ instead – Anyone wonders what kind of nothing? The nothing kind of nothing. Little did he know that, when you take life for granted, it hits back, and how….
Maintenant, Lola Milagros, a Spanish dance instructor and his mom’s friend, enters the game, invited for dinner. Merrily, mom announces Lola will stay with them for Christmas. Most of the conversation in this Icelandic movie is hereafter in English, as neither Lola nor Hlynur know each others tongue. Excellently written lines, add to the joyously funny viewing experience. The strongpoint of 101 is the pace, its easy and surprisingly enjoyable, almost complementing the nouveau excitement of being in frigid zone weather.
Animals of the party
Hlynur and Lola leave for a party night, when mom is away visiting the grandparents. Lola’s affinity towards women catches his attention, as she slips away from the party with a girl. Hlynur walks back home alone. By this time you are used to the amazing background score, alternative techno party tracks, something that internet geeks created during the nascent stages of manufactured tones, blends almost like another layer to this wonderfully young piece of cinema.
It is the New Year party, which brings Hofy, Hlynur, Thirstur and Lola under the same mad roof. Thirstur is irritatingly funny as ever, he has a thing going for Hofy, but is unable to get out of his self, to go for it. Meanwhile, Hofy enquires ‘How is it being a Lesbian?’. Lola says ‘There is only one way to know’.
Super-kiss
The party music is on, and suppressed attraction Hlynur and Lola have, emerges out of nowhere. The edits, which have been quite crisp and linear till then, do a jump cut here, depriving a craving audience, temporarily, from the wonderful love-making sequence that Hlynur-Lola must have had. Instead, we listen to a phone call, from Hlynur’s mom, as he picks up the phone wrapped up in the undergarments of Lola. Mom announces her arrival the next day,
Hlynur, realizes, what they had done. Lola is in a relationship with his lesbian mom. He fucked his mom’s girlfriend, and worse he is falling for her. In Hlynur’s own words
So my mother and I have our fingers in the same pie
Life slaps so hard, when his mom declares her love to Hlynur, and also suggests marriage plans. The second blow comes in form of Hofy, who declares she is pregnant. The third kick, right up the box, when Lola gets pregnant. Hlynur, sure that only one of them carries his child, is knocked out even before the first round is over.
Superb filming makes the movie contemporary and young. Even though the theme is touchy and often can drift towards taking sides, exceptional writing from the director Baltasar Kormakur (His other films include suspenseful Myrin and the drama, White Night Wedding) , especially with the dialogue lines, keep the film balanced, as balanced as the exasperation of humankind. Hlynur, gifted with out-of-the-world sense of humor (check out some of his lines ) , played expertly by Hilmir Snær Guðnason, lends immense strength to this wonderful little film. 
Victoria Abril, is uber-sexy, in her sensible portrayal of Lola. The support cast is wonderful. After Noi Alibinoi, this is another Icelandic film laden throughout with genuine and original humor.
And then, above all this scene-by-scene ROFLMAO mayhem, there is someone, an all-watching, binocular clad angel, with a quirky comic sense.
Tags: 101 Reykjavik, Baltasar Kormakur, Icelandic, Victoria Abril
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Ram- this movie sure seems to be a good watch.You’ve built up the curiosity levels quite well.But how does one get hold of this movie?Is the DVD out in India or should I go for the tried & tested route?
Sethu- I dont know if Palador or Lumiere have it yet…most probably not.. as they only pickup festival stream or popular directors… You can try any route..but see it and enjoy for sure…If you dont get it…a chennai or bangalore trip..either way should solve the problem…
Well Ram anyways I’m moved my base back to Chennai so I guess I’ll stick to the tried & tested route
@ Ram – Thank you for introducing this film here. I really enjoyed watching this Modern Day Comedy.
Sohil..it indeed is enjoyable..Hlynurs are a strange bye-product of humankind’s progress and evolution…I had no choice but to introduce him to PFC…