By Chris Kriofske
Director: Grímur Hákonarson
Starring: Charlotte Bøving | Gunnar Jónsson | JónBenónýsson | Sigurður Sigurjónsson | TheodórJúlíusson
Original language title: Hrútar
Country: denmark, iceland, norway, poland
Year: 2016
Running time: 93
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3296658/reference
Chris says: “Charming Icelandic drama about two sheep-herding brothers who, having been estranged (yet still neighbors) for 40 years must work together when illness effects both of their flocks. Pulls off the neat trick of convincing you it’s about one thing, whereas at the end you discover it’s about something else entirely. Good for Cinematography and original screenplay.”
Beth C. says: “RAMS plays as a sleepy type of Scandinavian indie film, but there are many elements to this film that are not so sleepy. In fact, the screenplay is created with a tension that grows steadily and keeps the viewer engaged throughout. The story told in Rams is simple enough: two brothers, estranged. Such is a story, which has been told before, a story of the ties that bind. The best thing about this film is that the story has a central plot that is unique, the brothers’ family story played out in a surrogate family of sheep. RAMS caught Chlotrudis’ attention for best screenplay because the emotional tension of the brothers’ story is felt most as the brothers go to greater lengths to preserve their animals’ family lineage than they would to preserve their own. This Icelandic language film owes much of its success to its wonderfully quirky and interesting screenplay.”