Welcome on and all to part 49 of my weekly blog, The 52 In 52. Each week I take a DVD or Blu Ray that has been sitting on my shelves gathering dust and I review them. Last week I watched the fantastic BlacKkKlansman, go and check that out.
As always if you have any comments or feedback about this, or any other, post leave a comment in the section below or by following me on Twitter and Instagram.
This week I will be reviewing the 2018 comedy/drama Woman At War. Written, produced and directed by Benedikt Erlingsson, Woman At War follows the story of Halla (Halladora Geirharosdottir) a choir conductor by day and an eco activist who is causing major problems to an aluminium production plant by disrupting power supplies amongst other acts of civil disobedience. All the while Halla is awaiting a tip to the Ukraine to meet her newly adopted daughter.
I loved Woman At War. I remember hearing a review of this film on the Kermode and Mayo film review podcast a number of months ago and the idea of the story alone had me interested. The acting in this film is fantastic. There is a realism to Halla's performance that makes the audience root for her from the very beginning. The cast is relatively small at Halla is in almost every scene and whilst a more mainstream film would focus of exposition and additional plot threads Woman At War tells this story in a lean fast paced story that really adds to the jeopardy that Halla is in. The finale of the story is wonderful and really wraps up the story in a satisfying way.
I loved the way in which the musical score fit with the film perfectly but, not only that, the musical elements were incorporated into the film itself. Halla sometimes doesn't acknowledge the band or singers but, there are scene throughout where Halla almost looks for a queue or permission from the musicians to continue on with her story.
The film is beautifully shot and really highlights the natural beauty of Iceland. The action sequences are fast paced but, are subtle and not over the top like the would have been if made in Hollywood.
Overall Woman At War is a story of a woman trying to make a difference in the world by any means necessary and offers a lot of heart. The story is fast paced and action packed from start to finish and is brilliant example of how to mix comedy and drama in equal measure.
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