Synopsis
Post-war provincial Iceland: around 1950, Freyja, who'd been a plump teen, returns from America, a widow with a 20-inch waist, seven suitcases of dresses, and a list of who ever wronged or slighted her. She moves in with an aunt and socialist uncle: finding a new husband is high on her agenda, and she's mistrusted by Agga, a pre-teen who's our eyes and ears. The social order and Freyja are more complicated than they seem at first, and so may be her prospects. Class divisions, families ties, pride, the onset of puberty, and the power of Eros sliver the ice.
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Cast
- Margrét VilhjálmsdóttirFreyja
- Ugla EgilsdóttirAgga
- Heino FerchBjörn Theódór
- Hilmir Snær GuðnasonMagnús
- Kristbjörg KjeldGrandmother
- Edda Björg EyjólfsdóttirDódó
- Bára Lyngdal MagnúsdóttirDísa
- Eyvindur ErlendssonGrandfather
- Guðlaug Elísabet ÓlafsdóttirNinna
- Sigurveig JónsdóttirKidda
Recommendations
- 80
Los Angeles Times
A delicious pitch-dark Icelandic comedy centering on a femme fatale so enigmatic it brings into question just how fatale she may actually be. - 75
New York Daily News
It's no easy trick to invite viewers into an utterly bleak setting populated by the dissatisfied and small-minded. But a droll script and generally deft direction make the Icelandic chill surprisingly inviting. - 75
New York Post
Seagulls is easy to take, insightful and darkly funny. The story sometimes seems forced and the characters stereotypical, but the engaging cast and surreal shots of the rugged landscape compensate. - 70
Variety
A sprightly, enjoyable comedy-drama from veteran Agust Gudmundsson that's buoyed by a raft of excellent distaff performances. - 70
The New York Times
Mr. Gudmundsson has created a sleek, light and entertaining work, with a few contrasting pockets of darkness and mystery. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
Flirting intriguingly with film noir conventions, the film never really achieves a coherent tone in its depiction of the complicated and sometimes fatal series of events that arise. - 60
Village Voice
Provides some swell roles for actresses and intriguing local detail. - 60
TV Guide Magazine
Beautifully shot against Iceland's frozen landscape, the film is nearly as spellbinding as its strange heroine, whose essential mystery Gudmundsson preserves until the film's final frames.
