Jar City

A lot of the expected elements of the crime thriller are present in this Icelandic film: a taciturn policeman who has a dysfunctional relationship with his troubled daughter; a seemingly ordinary murder that leads to a murky, hidden past; an apparently unrelated parallel plot that eventually converges with the main story; eccentric secondary characters. However, this is no hack job. The bleak, windswept setting, a streak of blackly comic wit (noone in Iceland seems to be a vegetarian) and some excellent performances lift this above the competition. There's also a pleasing attention to details, such as the way Inspector Erlandur puts on and removes his spectacles as the occasion arises. His sardonic remarks at the expense of a younger and rather inept colleague and his disconcerting taste for sheep's head as an evening meal make him a thoroughly engaging character to guide the viewer through the labyrinth.