Bonnie Anderson
Special to The Morning Star
Okanagan Screen Arts Society is pleased to be showing Under The Tree on Monday, Nov. 26 at the Vernon Towne Cinema.
This foreign language film from Icelandic director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurosson is a truly fine film that takes the subject of feuding neighbours and presents it in a hilarious, moving and shocking way.
This starts off as a typical spat between neighbours when Baldwin (Sigurdur Sigurjonsson) and Inga’s (Edda Bjorgvinsdottir) next door neighbours complain over a big and beautiful tree in their backyard that is making a shadow on their sundeck. The disagreement unexpectedly and violently spins out of control and becomes a bitter dispute involving property damage, mysterious pet disappearance, installation of security cameras and rumours of a chainsaw-wielding neighbour.
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Sigurosson directs with a perfect balance of melancholy and absolute mayhem, which is also reflected in the thought-provoking script by Huldar Breidfjord, resulting in a beautifully done and completely plausible rendition of the feuding neighbour dilemma along with individual and internal family conflict, drama and grieving.
With compelling storytelling, the tension and bleakness have a ferocity while still managing to be entertaining and emotionally resonating, giving depth and alertness to the drama.
The cast of Under the Tree is excellent where everybody is a good guy and nobody the bad. This is a visually well-made film, which is beautifully filmed. The music is inspiring, appropriate and very cleverly used.
Showtimes are 5:15 and 7:45 p.m. Cash wine bar, pre-show intro by resident filmmaker Matt McDowell. Enjoy live music in the lobby before the early show courtesy of Les Copeland. Advance tickets available at the Towne Cinema box office and Expressions of Time bookstore.
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