"Hvalfjörður" or "Whale Valley" is an Icelandic 15-minute short film from 2013, so this one will have its 5th anniversary next year. It is among the more known works by writer and director Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson and fittingly with his origin it is a movie in the Icelandic language, even if Denmark is also listed as a country of production. This movie here won a great deal of awards recognition on all continents, including a prestigious win in Cannes. But sadly I cannot share the praise. I think the ambition is clearly visible, but apart from the cinematography nothing here is memorable about this quarter of an hour. Dialogues are scarce, but crucial, so make sure you got subtitles unless you are from the director's country and speak the language fluently. This is the story of two young brothers and a(n alleged) suicide scene makes this a very dramatic movie. But I personally felt that this crucial moment felt a bit for the sake of it. of course, it is difficult to elaborate on a proper plot with such a short film, but I expected something better than they did here to be honest, especially looking at the rating and reception. Thumbs-down from me. Not recommended.
Review of Whale Valley
