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Mælkekrigen
Directed by:
Grímur HákonarsonScreenplay:
Grímur HákonarsonCinematography:
Mart TanielComposer:
Valgeir SigurðssonCast:
Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir, Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson, Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Hinrik Ólafsson, Hannes Oli Agustsson, Edda Bjorg Eyjolfsdottir (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Writer/director Grímur Hákonarson’s eagerly-anticipated follow up to the worldwide hit Rams is a rousing, David-and-Goliath comedy about a farmer’s wife who steps up to take on the corrupt local co-op in her remote Icelandic valley. Dairy farmers Inga (Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir) and her husband Reynir (Hinrik Ólafsson), love each other deeply, but are trapped - they’re in debt, they’re working 24/7 and haven’t had a vacation in years. Inga has always been frustrated by the unquestioned commitment Reynir has to the local co-operative, unable to see the logic in them holding a monopoly over the milk they produce (nor in being forced to pay considerably more for groceries and supplies than what those items cost online or in Reykjavik). So after disaster strikes, and the plucky Inga is forced to try and make it on her own, she launches a social media campaign to bring attention to the organisation’s exploitative practices. Unfortunately, everyone else in the community is dependent on its economic heft, and Inga’s quest soon makes her the target of a ruthless adversary. Hákonarson’s humanistic and charming film deftly melds wry humour and Icelandic gruffness to deliver an crowd-pleasing tale of a woman who’s simply had enough, and decides to try to live life on her own terms. (Palace Films)
(more)Reviews (2)
For viewers who enjoy these latitudes, The County offers a pleasing look into their rural corners and at the cows, the milk, the hard, honest life of the farmers and the operation of a cooperative that seems to mean well by the village and its independence from the big chains, but at the same time abuses its power over the farmers. Until a local Rebel Woman confronts it. Interesting. But when you get that feeling of “okay, now something's going to happen” from one of the later scenes, nothing happens and the closing credits roll. “That’s it?”
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"Time for me to live my life, be happy and be free. Now's the time to leave this place, I've got the world to see." - The words of the upbeat final song suggest much about the feelings and future direction of the protagonist Inga, who, after the death of her husband, defies the harsh rules of the community in which she lives. And they do so regardless of whether there is a real chance of making a difference. (75%)
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