User Reviews

"A White, White Day" is a Drama movie in which we watch a retired police officer suspecting a man who was having an affair with his recently passed wife. Soon he will lose control and he will create a hostile environment for him and the rest of his family.

I was surprised by this movie because it was interesting due to its plot that dag into the human soul and the grieving of a person who just want to find out the truth. The interpretations of both Ingvar Sigurdsson who played as Ingimundur and Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir who played as Salka were absolutely outstanding and made the difference. The direction which was made by Hlynur Palmason, it was simply amazing and I found very interesting the way he presented our main character, his life and also how he presents us the grieving if his main character. Finally, I have to say that "A White, White Day" is an interesting drama movie and I am sure that after watching it you will think of it for a long time.

Ingumundur lives alone on a desolate farm. He is trying to rebuild his house and is looking after his granddaughter from time to time. He is quiet on the surface, but underneath he is grieving for his recently deceased wife. When a disturbing detail about his wife's past suddenly comes to the surface it threatens to destroy the fragile peace he has created, and affects everyone he loves.

When the movie starts with good few minutes of a car driving down a misty road you know you are in for a long ride. The harsh landscape of the setting is almost a character in the film. It gives the movie almost a magnetic quality. But there's a sense of imminent tragedy lurking underneath it all.

WHITE WHITE DAY tells a seemingly simple story, but is secretive at times, letting the viewers decide for themselves what motivates the characters. And it is often what happens off screen that has the real impact.

The cinematography however goes a bit overboard with still static shots of everchanging nature, as beautiful as they are they quickly turn irritating.

There are wonderful performances from all involved, specifically a tour de force from the lead Ingvar Siggurdson, as he slowly goes to pieces, his anger, pain and frustration tearing him apart on the inside, as he is just sitting there quietly like a bomb ready to go off.

WHITE WHITE DAY has a story to tell and has some interesting characters to match. It is, however first, and foremost an Arthouse film that tries to experiment with cinematography, light and pacing. It also relies on the viewer's attention, but it is a long , slightly depressing movie and not everyone will last the distance. But if you do it is rather rewarding.

Some movies hide the fact that they have little to say beyond the artistic impressions. WHITE WHITE DAY is not such a film.

... that almost self extinguishes but is saved by the rage of a widower upon discovering the infidelity of his dead spouse. The lines between sanity, grief, madness and anger achingly filmed and pondering through the mistiness of recollection.

Old Cop slowly goes crazy after learning about his deceased wife's past. Southern style drama of revenge and jealousy set in the high North. Great performances, great art direction, interesting visualizations. Recommended.

Bottomless grief, that is the main ingredient in this Icelandic film. How a man mourns the loss of his beloved wife. Masterfully played in a beautiful landscape, we follow the main character who tries to take back everyday life after his great loss. He drowns himself at work, and takes care of a grandchild. All in an attempt to deal with the grief. He reluctantly goes into therapy. We suspect something is going on with the main man, and that he really is hurting. He struggles. The film portrays this very well. It's slow and lingering, but this suits the film well. Eventually, his grief turns to hatred. This change in the plot leads to the film gaining more tempo, and gradually becoming exciting as well. Absolutely worth seeing, but it takes time to get into.

The opening frames of Hlynur Palmason's movie "A White, White Day" conveys weather and landscape in a way very few movies have. It's clear seasons and time are passing in a dizzying, almost disorientating, fashion so when people finally appear, (an elderly man and his granddaughter), they feel as if they shouldn't be here and when we move indoors, it's like a alien place, particularly as there is a horse in the living room. And then it's back to more of the same, images of a landscape, but now with people occasionally appearing at a distance..

In part an intimate psychological study of its central character, Ingimundur, (a superb, award-winning performance from Ingvar Sigurdsson), and in part a study of the harsh environment in which he lives, Palmason's film is a visually stunning and often relentless 'thriller', dealing with the themes of grief, jealousy and revenge. It's also the kind of film that clearly belongs in the Northern Hemisphere where nature at its least forgiving determines both the landscape and the character of its inhabitants. You could say Ingimundur is the way he is becasue of his environment.

The plot evolves slowly yet inexorably with dialogue kept to a minimum. As a thriller it reminded me of the television series "True Detective" which certainly took its time and wasn't really concerned with resolving issues; the pace here is decidedly languorous and the film is open-ended. A huge hit on the festival circuit and the Icelandic entry for the Oscars, it should also prove very popular with art-house audiences.

"For some reason, she was always enough for me."

Hvíter Hvíter Dager, Iceland's Oscar entry for Best Foreign Film this year, is a quiet, mature look at grief and memory. It is about a man who carries within him a love so pure, he struggles to understand anything else. It is about refusing to let go of the version of someone you want to hold onto forever.

The narrative slowly unravels like a novel as themes are explored through nuance and metaphor. The delicate dealing with love lost recalls Lee Chang-dong's Secret Sunshine and Céline Sciamma's Portrait de La Jeune Fille en Feu, regarding the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The cinematography, shot in a noticeably textured 35mm, is peculiar in the way it involves the setting and keeps us a certain physical distance from the characters. I think Michael Haneke would be proud of this film.

The central character Ingimunder's relationship with his granddaughter Salka serves the film in predictable but endearing ways. Strong child acting is often taken for granted, but Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir's performance is far from typical. It is also a testament to both fine direction (Hlynur Palmason) and strong casting because the two leads are almost irreplaceable and truly contribute to make the film something special.

A White, White Day is enriched by its simplicity and singularity as it takes on heavy themes. The characters are real, the story is thoughtfully restrained, and the ending is remarkable. One of the more memorable films of the year.

My partner & I are obsessive Icelandic fans - and absorb most of the culture there that we can get our hands on. Most film & TV that manage to get this far are surprisingly bleak and Hvítur dagur is no exception.

The film is a rather dry tale of one man's descent and journey through grief with some arresting visuals and an unexpectedly, almost avant, presentation. The lilting drift between stark reality and implied fantasy isn't particularly well defined (intentionally enigmatic rather) - leaving the potentially enlightening ending as a dull thud for me. The draw here is the particularly strong lead performance (Ingvar Sigurðsson, playing a very different type of tragic character than he did in Ófærð) and as always, the biggest star of any Icelandic film, the stunningly monumental and ever-changing countryside.

Amazing Icelandic drama, with a great score and ambience, not recommended for those annoyed with slow-paced movies

Score:

Entertainment value: 4 Visuals: 6 Soundtrack: 7 Plot: 6 World building and depth: 6 Characters and dialog: 6 Total: 6

The good: The dialog is deep and Ingemundurs relationship with his grandaughter Salka is interesting to watch. It is quite visually interesting as usual to watch the Icelandic landscape.

The bad: A bit too heavy for my taste, it did feel a bit pointless at some point on how he handles situations.

Arthouse, slow burn, slow pace - all those things are correct to say the least. And depending on the amount of slack you are willing to cut it ... you will be able to enjoy this on different levels. It really takes more than a while to go ... well "off". But when it does (towards the end) ... there is more than just a little impact to it.

The main actor gives it his all. Whether it is a powerful scene or one that is as subtle as it gets. Add to that a child actor who is amazing as well and you got a great combo/team. Not for everyone, for obvious reasons, but those who will like it, will love it.

I love Nordic Noir which is why I couldn't wait to see this film and share with my movie-loving friends. Needn't have wasted 2 hours on this meandering film which promised much but delivered little except toward the end an insight into a man's agony of loss. The early scenes of landscape changes depicting time passing without any human stirrings was an invitation into an atmospheric promise of ingue that never materialised. The strong acting was what kept me in the theatre for two very long hours.

A film about lost, doubts, angry and revenge. And sure, about love. Admirable atmosphere, great performance and wise explore of ambiguous states. A film about mourning, in precise nuances, with not surprising result.

Interesting editing and use of Leonard Cohen's song "Memories." The reference to Schumann's wife and Brahms is appropriate and interesting.

A White, White Day: A policeman (Ingvar Egert Siguroson) is mourning the death of his wife, he is investigating the car accident in which she died. He suspects a man who had an affair with his wife might have been involved. His obsession grows disrupting many lives and results in violence. Those are the bare bones of the plot but this is a much richer film. The bleak Icelandic landscape (often shrouded in fog or mist) plays a large part in the film, a rock tumbling down a hill eventually landing in a river symbolising Ingvar's loss. Ingvar is renovating a house for his daughter and granddaughter while he is on compassionate leave. His relationship with the girl (Ida Mekkin Hlynnsdottir) is central to the film, he is constantly minding her, even bringing her with him when he meets with his police colleagues. This is a labour of love rather than a duty. Writer/Director Hlynor Pálmason delivers an intriguing exploration of love, grief and human frailty. 8/10.

Summary then Analysis:

"A White, White Day" follows Ingimundur (brilliantly portrayed by Icelandic actor Ingvar Sigurdsson), a police officer seemingly on leave after the death of his wife. He attempts to fill his time by reconstructing a farm house for his daughter. This turns out to be a Sisyphean task that mirrors his grief for his wife. He also spends his days with his young granddaughter who would jokingly remind him that he is second best to only his late wife.

Ingimundur seems to be in a purgatorial state, living day to day until he finds a video camera in one of his late wife's leftover boxes. Having thought he has found a token of everlasting memory, he is shocked to find a tape that will cal into question their entire relationship.

"A White, White Day" is very much a character study of a man dealing with the grief of a loved one. However, it does not follow a traditional film's storyline. Not time wise, but what we expect.

American films have taught us to follow our protagonist as they pursue a clear cut goal enduring consequences within in a narrow time frame. International directors often reject this notion and we see this with Pálmason's film. The audience becomes spectators to a bipartisan view of a man's attempt to deal with grief. The lens very seldom follows or mirrors what our emotional viewpoint may be at the time. Simply standing back and allowing us to view the product of grief and male machismo. Until... it erupts.

Ingimundur, having doubts about the validity of his relationship or perhaps merely tilting at windmills, partakes a journey to discover the truth behind his relationship. Ingimundur's odyssey is not unlike that of Odysseus': he runs into several obstacles, usually making a conceited or reactionary decision that should only come back to haunt him. All the while building and demolishing his own faith in his relationship. In addition, beginning a journey of knowledge only to find himself in the place where he had started. Knowing it for the first time.

The film ends, in what is perhaps it's most brilliant scene, with Ingimundur sitting on the couch as Memories by Leonard Cohen plays. The raw emotion hits upon all wavelengths he has felt culminating in self recognition of his own grief and destruction.

"A White, White Day" is a tremendous slow-burn drama about how many men bury their grief in an attempt to stay strong for their loved ones. Using unique art direction and long takes, this Icelandic film is a sure pleasure for those with the patience and appreciation for thematic cinema.

Probably the most boring film I have ever seen. The plot, such as it was, could have been encapsulated in 10 minutes. It was so slow as to be stationary rather than even pedestrian. The opening scenes showing the remote house in various weather conditions was about as fast paced as it got. The one positive was the performance of Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir. A star in the making.

Don't you just love the reviews that start with 'I love nordic noir but'. In other words, I love The Bridge and The Killing. Or one reviewer here 'crumpytv' who seems to only review things he hates, warning us DO NOT WATCH. I digress. This film is a wonderful watch. Substance, great script and some depth that at points makes it a hard watch. Norway has some great output. Well with watching.

It has everything other people have mentioned but it is an artistic masterpiece in the first place. It also has some good humor too. The two leading actors, granddad and his granddaughter, are incredibly genuine and powerful.