Director
Hlynur Palmason
(WINTER BROTHERS)

Stars
Ingvar Sigurdsson, Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir and Elma Stefania Agustsdottir

On a deserted and curvy road that offers poor visibility due to thick and heavy fog, all that can be seen is the fate that inevitably awaits the unseen driver of a vehicle that is swaying into and out of the opposite side of the road. This opening scene of Icelandic drama A WHITE, WHITE DAY arouses a feeling of great apprehension that soon hibernates, before returning once more with stronger force later in the movie.

Left a widowed man as a result of the incident at the beginning of the film, off duty policeman Ingimundur (Ingvar Sigurdsson from TV Series Trapped and EVEREST) comforts his grief by keeping occupied refurbishing a home for his daughter, Elín (Elma Stefania Agustsdottir) and with the frequent company of his granddaughter, Salka (Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir). Ingimundur’s grief understandably turns to anger and becomes overbearing when he discovers that his late wife was having an affair, which places the safety of his loved ones and his career in jeopardy.

You can bet your bottom dollar that once A WHITE, WHITE DAY arrives at this heart-wrenching realisation for its brooding protagonist, its dramatic stocks intensify. The themes of grief and pent-up anger that are yet to be properly addressed are themselves addressed with genuineness and greater depth as viewers witness Ingimundur’s subsequent actions and learn what more he will discover from these. Once the screenplay and directing have become decidedly more focused on these core characteristics of the story, A WHITE, WHITE DAY is a very, very good film. But until then, writer and director Hlynur Palmason ostensibly has a challenging time selecting which individual story components will be of true relevance throughout the latter half. There is no doubt that A WHITE, WHITE DAY is lengthier than it needs to be as a result of the extra screen time given to detail that in the scheme of things, just doesn’t really matter. Thankfully though, the performances from first-time actress Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir and Cannes Film Festival winner Ingvar Sigurdsson remain consistently strong and ensure that once the film has progressed, this mild little muddle also doesn’t really matter.

3 ½ stars

Viewer Discretion
TBA

Trailer
A WHITE, WHITE DAY (HVITUR, HVITUR DAGUR)

Moviedoc thanks Asha Holmes Publicity, Palace Cinemas and the Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival for the invite to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc
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