There are times in this well-intentioned movie dealing with Alzheimer’s when the plot steers off course that it seems as muddled as poor Mama Gogo herself. Part quirky comedy, part family high drama, part satire on the local film industry, and part ghost story, this is the latest movie from one of the major forces in Icelandic cinema Fridrik Thor Frirksson. It centers on an 80-year strong-willed grandmother who is slowly succumbing to the disease and is immensely watchable thanks Kristbjorg Kjeld’s commanding performance as she beautifully steals every scene she is in.
The secondary plot lines seem both disjointed and unnecessary, but the sensitive handling of this very tragic scenario of witnessing a loved one ‘disappear’ redeemed the film with some very emotional moments .
I’ve never had to deal with watching a parent come to terms with aging, but I can only imagine that when its similar to Mama Gogo’s, it must be so tough, and it also makes one focus on one’s own future.
As unfair as it maybe, as I sat through this movie, I couldn’t help thinking about Sarah Polley’s ‘Away From Her’ . Maybe it was the fact it too dealt with Alzheimer’s and also in some cold-forsaken place, but the fact that it had Julie Christie in the lead propelled it all to a different level.
★★★★★★
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