349. Under The Tree (Undir trénu); movie review

UNDER THE TREE (UNDIR TRENU)
Cert 15

89 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong violence, sex, sex references

They don't come around very often but Icelandic films always hit the mark with me. Indeed, I have never awarded one less than 7.5/10.
My first encounter was the superb Jar City in 2006 and, most recently, I was hugely impressed by Virgin Mountains and Rams.
The makers of the latter have created one of the best films of this year with Under the Tree - a superb escalating neighbour dispute.
And Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson's film, at a taut 89 minutes, proves that quality is so much more important than quantity. Makers of the plethora of bloated films should take note.
It stars Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson as Atli, a husband who is kicked out of his marital home when his wife (Lára Jóhanna Jónsdóttir) discovers him watching an amateur porn film of him with another woman.

This prompts him to move in with his mum (Edda Björgvinsdóttir) and dad (Sigurður Sigurjónsson) and become embroiled in a petty row they are having with their neighbours (Þorsteinn Bachmann and
Selma Björnsdóttir).
At first the dispute is over the shadow cast by a tree over a porch but, as time passes, the acrimony becomes more fierce.
The brilliance of Under The Tree is the way in which tension is very gradually built. Indeed, it is amazing how the storm finds its way out of the teacup.
While the focus is on the neighbour dispute, the movie also tackles love, betrayal and bereavement with great poignancy.
Sigurðsson makes the point that trees are rare in Iceland so owners are very protective of them but equally the sun shines infrequently that no-one would want it blotted out.
This is an intriguing backdrop to a storyline which imaginative and thoughtful.
Under The Tree's direction and performances are pitch perfect. Most of all, it surprises at every turn with ingenious originality.

Reasons to watch: Unusual and tense drama 
Reasons to avoid: Actually, very little happens

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 9/10

Director quote - Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson: "What excited me originally about the idea is that such conflicts can be absurdly funny since they very often revolve around minor issues, but then very often get blown out of all proportion. They can sometimes become very fierce, violent conflicts, in which normal, respectable people lose their dignity and self-control."

The big question - Why can some neighbours be so awful?

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