Solitude

Solitude

"Solitude" directed by Ninna Pálmadóttir
TIFF

VERDICT: The sweet and compassionate 'Solitude' is a modest drama with a big heart.

EFP logo 1 Solitude

It’s a fine line between being alone and feeling lonely, and one can become too settled on their own to feel the difference. In Ninna Pálmadóttir’s endearing feature debut, Solitude, she navigates the delicate yet sometimes expansive distance between the two. Gentle and compassionate, the film explores an unlikely connection that’s forged between an uncomplicated man and a young boy that might to be too pure for the modern world.

There’s a saying in Icelandic, “I came completely from the mountains,” that’s handy if you’re ever feeling lost or out of the loop in a conversation. While he’s not quite from the mountains, Gunnar (Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson) can see them in the breathtaking view from his ramshackle rural farm where he’s long lived contentedly on his own. When the government expropriates his land to build a dam and pays him off with a cool $150 million, Gunnar quickly resettles in Reykjavík, purchasing a modest apartment the day he arrives. His plans to continue his comfortably reclusive life are upended when Ari (Hermann Samúelsson), the ten year-old boy across the street, starts poking his head around. Gunnar’s reluctance eventually softens into a sincere friendship with Ari, even if dealing with peculiarities of a young child might leave him reaching for that famed Icelandic phrase.

With the potential to feel hokey or sentimental, Pálmadóttir’s restrained hand goes a long way in creating an emotional tenor that feels genuine. The film — which runs a mere 75 minutes — makes the most of its quiet efficiency, with every scene necessary, and nothing extraneous. This is hardly surprising coming from screenwriter and producer Rúnar Rúnarsson. A filmmaker in his own right, his 2019 picture Echo presented a portrait of contemporary Iceland across 56 individual scenes, running no more than a minute or two each. Solitude displays a similar ability to mine complex characterisation, and a plot that also manages to involve the refugee crisis, with few words and short scenes.

This careful moderation also shines through in the performances. Gunnarsson shapes Gunnar as a man whose solitude isn’t necessarily closed; it’s just how he’s long known to navigate the world. Thus his resistance can only hold so long when Ari’s interest in him won’t flag, but Samúelsson’s approach is never precocious or coy. With Ari’s parents combatively dealing with shared custody, and his best friend Nikki having moved away, it’s easy to see the role the child subconsciously needs Gunnar to fill. As For Gunnar, Ari brings vibrant “life, news and curiosity” into his flat that’s half-filled with furnishings left behind by the previous owners. The actors build an easy comfort between Gunnar and Ari, situating their growing dependence on each other in the familiar motions of routine.

“You’re a little weird,” Ari tells Gunnar soon after they meet. It’s an amusing, yet accurate observation. But it’s not his long hair, scraggly beard, and taciturnity that make him stand apart. From the moment he arrives in Reykjavík, Gunnar takes to collecting bottles, observing protests for refugee rights, and eyeing things that need mending. As he writes to his cousin in Canada, with his new life in the city, he wants to “contribute to making it a better place.”

In an era that feels increasingly cynical, where almost every position has become politicized, Gunnar’s simple worldview feels radical. But what Gunnar doesn’t realize — until it’s almost too late, when a misunderstanding threatens to tear him away from Ari — is that doing good sometimes means stepping out of your shell to fight for yourself and the things you care about. Solitude doesn’t leave us with any certainty about what the future might hold for Gunnar and Ari, but through its weary optimism it gives us hope that even in their brief time together, they’ve become better people in a world that perhaps doesn’t deserve them.

Director: Ninna Pálmadóttir
Screenplay: Rúnar Rúnarsson
Cast: Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson, Hermann Samúelsson, Anna Gunndís Guðmundsdóttir, Hjortur Jóhann Jónsson
Producers: Lilja Osk Snorradottir, Hlin Jóhannesdóttir, Elli Cassata, Rúnar Rúnarsson
Cinematography: Dušan Husár
Production design: Gus Olafsson, Arndis Ey, Andrea Strbova
Editing: Ivor Šonje
Music: Pétur Þó Benediktsson
Sound: Tihomir Vrbanec
Production companies: Pegasus Pictures (Iceland), nutprodukcia (Slovakia), Jour2Fête (France), Halibut (Iceland)
World sales: The Party Film Sales
Venue: Toronto International Film Festival (Discovery)
In Icelandic
75’ minutes