Rams (2015)

Two scraggy Icelandic brothers are involved in a bitter long-standing quarrel. This is the set-up of Rams, what one could call a pitch-black, tender comedy, directed by Grimur Hakonarson. Gummi and Kiddi haven't talked to each other for ages. They live in a small community in which the major event that everybody wait for is the early sheep-award. The film sticks to the brotherly feud that gets increasingly dangerous. Somewhere, the film loses touch with the story it tries to tell and some of the turns just feel like results of a writer that tries hard to make a dramatic movie about a small community. But somehow, regardless of its sweetness, there is no singular vision here, no urgency, and after a while, even the sweetness comes out a bit artificial. Which is a shame, because Rams has clear potential - not to speak of the grand landscape on display here.