Film Reviews

Noi Albino

• Rating:
• Director: Dagur Kari
• Starring: Tomas Lemarquis, Throstur Leo Gunnarsson, Elin Hansdottir, Anna Fridriksdottir, Hjalti Rognvaldsson, Kjartan Bjargmundsson, Petur Einarsson, Greipur Gislason, Gerard Lemarquis.
• Details: Ice / 93 mins / (No Cert).

Redefining the word 'quirky', 'Noi Albino' follows the title character, who is not an albino but is something of a social outcast in the small Northern Icelandic fjord in which he grew up. Unable to commit to a life within the rural hinterland and uncertain as to what he wants to do should he actually leave, Noi is at something of a juncture in his life. A new girl working in a cafe near his school is the catalyst for Noi to get interested in life again, meaning that he's got to deal with a drunken father and a rather feisty granny. A filmmaker with a real and understanding of the power of the absurd, Dagur Kari has made an interesting, visually dextrous, movie. Although somewhat detached from its central protagonist, the climax of 'Noi' is still massively captivating. Kari visual style remains engagingly ambitious through (the gorgeous snow lands are beautifully and very starkly shot) while the performances - Lemarquis especially - are edgy. There are some faults - the intensely languid tone for one - but 'Noi Albino' heralds the emergence of new talent. Worth catching - if starkly shot, remote existentialist Icelandic dramas are your thing.

Review by Garreth Murphy