Reviews

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  ★★★½ review by Jordan Rowe on Letterboxd

  "Virgin Mountain" is a painfully honest character study of loneliness, anxiety, and heartbreak.

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  ★★★★½ review by Michael Casey on Letterboxd

  Fusi (Gunnar Jónsson) is a large, 40-year-old who has a hard time connecting with the world around him. He lives with his mother, re-enacts WWII tank battles with models, is bullied at work and has only one soul he could call a friend. His mother’s boyfriend devises a plan to get him out of the house and into the world, country line dancing classes.

  Sjörn (Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir) also attends these dance classes and on a particularly snowy evening, she convinces Fusi to give her a ride home. Fusi falls in love, and Sjörn returns the sentiment, but Sjörn has her own set of problems and love is anything but easy.

  How Fusi responds to the roadblock that Sjörn throws up is what makes Virgin Mountain a work of gentle humanity. Forced from his isolation, Fusi learns that he can accomplish whatever he wants. Fusi is a kind and tender man who deserves the best in life, and writer/director Dagur Kári gives Fusi his due. There are people in this world that make the world a better, more inclusive place. Fusi is one of them, but the beauty of Virgin Mountain is when Fusi finds them, where they often are, in the most unlikely of places.

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  ★★★★½ review by Vanja on Letterboxd

  Such a warm Icelandic story of loneliness and longing for understanding and acceptance. Overweight, insecure, infantile and often bullied, Fúsi is perceived as weird, but in fact, he is very kind, gentle and harmless.

  This is such an honest human drama full of simple healthy humour and sweet funny moments, but also brutally authentic depression. Luckily, the protagonist has proved to be as tough as the land he comes from.

  I recommend it wholeheartedly.

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  ★★★★★ review by Anika on Letterboxd

  I had a person tell me they didn't like this film because it was depressing and I am convinced that they saw a different movie. Honestly one of the most uplifting endings of Gimli Film Festival.

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  ★★★★½ review by Michael Stuhlman on Letterboxd

  Tackling topics like modern masculinity, subtle nerd culture, and above all loneliness, Virgin Mountain took me completely by surprise with it's unique blend of Marty, Zero Charisma and Aki Kaurismaki.

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