Myrin (Jar City)
I watched the Icelandic film Mýrin tonight and it was superb.
Based on a novel by Arnaldur Indriðason, it follows the policeman Erlendur as he and his colleagues try and solve the seemingly motiveless murder of a man in his home. As with all good examples of the genre, the plot evolves throughout the film and involves opening old wounds in closed cases and a recurring connection to an inherited genetic disease.
Despite his appearance – he’s rarely without a cardigan – Erlendur can be tough when needed, as seen in his confrontations with the violent skinhead Elliði and later when some enforcers for a local drug dealer try to break into his home.
With a drug-addicted, pregnant, daughter and no social life, it’d be easy to assume the brooding atmosphere was present throughout the entire film, but there’s a few rare moments of black humour, particularly in the back and forth dialogue with his partner Sigurður.
The cinematography and music are breathtaking, making the vast Icelandic landscapes simultaneously beautiful and bleak while only intensifying the sense of foreboding and helplessness.
Here’s hoping we get to see more of Erlendur and his cardigans soon.
