Fire Review – volcanoes and passions erupt in Iceland – tragic love | Movie

THis scientifically valid, CGI-tastic disaster film will either do wonders for Iceland’s tourism industry or destroy it completely. Vigdís Hrefna Pálsdóttir is a volcanologist named Anna, who comes from a short line of volcanologists (only her father). As small volcanoes erupt and earthquakes become more frequent, Anna begins to suspect that the supposedly separate subterranean areas may be fed from a vast underground ocean. Huge clouds of geologic mumbo jumbo are released in conversations, supported by computer graphics and people drawing things on whiteboards. But the point is that Reykjavik is in danger.

Of course, the powers that be are suspicious of Anna’s thoughts and do not want to end this island of sweet, delicious money for tourists. Recently, the symptoms are too many to ignore. And a big eruption lasts a day or two, or as Anna says, for 30 years, like the volcano that erupted in the 9th century.

While all this is happening, Anna develops feelings for the hunky Danish photographer Thomas (Pilou Asbaek, Euron Greyjoy’s bad boy in Game of Thrones). Anna is haphazardly married to the nice but quiet Kristinn (Joi Johannsson), who has a daughter Salka (Steinunn Kaldal Jakobsdóttir). But Tomasi’s beautiful pictures of air clouds and of himself looking anxious looking at said clouds, along with a groovy bachelor pad where he listens to Nick Cave, ignite a fire in Anna’s loins and soon they are dating. Since Iceland has almost the same population as Coventry, it doesn’t take long for her and Thomas to learn more about her, giving the skeptics of Anna’s theory of volcanic eruptions a chance.

Although this is a very complex romance and horror, and full of both genres, the result is the most beautiful because of the action. Pálsdóttir and Asbaek have real chemistry, even when they start to smile a little too much when they dance together at a party, as if they’re trying to make each other’s teeth work. Another bonus is the stunning music by up-and-coming singer and songwriter Herdís Stefánsdóttir, who has also written the music for two recent M Night Shyamalan productions and classic TV shows including The Essex Serpent. Stefánsdóttir’s score here is full of fierce dissonance and haunting drones, which fit the image of Icelandic beauty/horror. All in all, it’s director Ugla Hauksdóttir’s impressive package, which makes her stand out.