Niceland (Population. 1.000.002)
- Martin Compston: Jed
- Gary Lewis: Max
- Peter Capaldi: John
- Kerry Fox: Mary
- Shauna Macdonald: Sandra
- Guðrún María Bjarnadóttir: Chloe
- Guðrún Gísladóttir: Ruth
- Timmy Lang: Alex
- Ásta S. Ólafsdóttir: Mia
- Hugrún Þorfinnsdóttir: Diana
- Gisli Örn Garðarsson: Ethan
Nice Country ( Population. 1000002 ) is an Icelandic film drama directed by Fridrik Þór Friðriksson from the year 2004. The film is about the mentally retarded Jed, who on account of his love for his girlfriend Chloe also mentally handicapped, on the search for meaning life makes. The film opened on December 6, 2006 in the German cinemas.
Action
The mildly mentally retarded Jed works with other disabled people in a small factory. There he falls in love with his work colleague, Chloe, who is also in love with him. After a joint Date Jed is so overjoyed that he makes her to marry him. She takes to him and in the joy of running her favorite character, her cat Katie, and it is run over by a car. You yourself are Jed 's fault and loses all joy in life, because Katie gave her the will to live.
After Jed has apologized several times, says Chloe, that she could love him again until and married when she had joy and meaning in life again. So Jed goes on a search for the meaning of life. Unfortunately, no one knows the answer to the question, what was the meaning of life. It was not until a television report about Max, a reclusive scrap dealer, gives him hope again, for he reveals that he knows the answer to the question, but they 'll let anybody. So Jed makes his way to Max to find out the answer. But that does not want him be with him and gives him more reasons to disappear. And it also succeeds him after he approaches him aggressively.
Jed goes to Chloe, to see how she is, but her courage fades to life. She's so bad that she is hospitalized. So Jed returns to Max back to quickly get a reply, so he can save Chloe. But Max has other problems. He observes Sandra, his daughter, who does not want to talk to him. Max makes a deal with Jed, if he can do it, that they again speak with Max, he 'll tell Jed the meaning of life. But Max has no luck with Sandra and learns that Chloe is always worse off, so he asks Max begging for the answer. But this has Jed succinctly by himself by means that he had the answer long forgotten.
Sandra comes to the junkyard and talks to Jed. She tells him that she was not Max 's daughter, but only a girl that his daughter went to the school. True daughter of Max and his wife died two years earlier in a car accident. And Max, it was after a few months coma not to admit what had happened. However, Jed realizes that Max has the truth apparently long been accepted and tried to kill himself.
And so Max Jed closes off at the junkyard so that he has enough rest to hang himself. But Jed can free himself and knows that Max could not kill. So he goes to him, see how he desperately tried to hang himself and listens as Max tells him that he knew a long time what is the meaning of life. So Jed goes up to him and whispers it in his ear. Max smiles and confirmed to him that this is exactly the meaning of life. And with this knowledge Jed rushes to his beloved Chloe to the hospital, where he finds them awake.
Criticism
In filmdienst Jens Hinrichsen wrote: " Empathetic takes Fridriksson now once again an unusual perspective one. Colours The angle of view of a young man with Down's syndrome and ' crazy ' in NICE COUNTRY everyday experiences of normal people, which resonates in the pun of the title: In specific locations in Iceland rotated, the film modern Tell empire seems to move in a way that the climate of sensed temperatures is determined. The emotional thermometer oscillates between ' Nice' and ' Ice', between the exhilaration of falling in love and the absolute freezing point in the marriage of Jed's parents. "
Also kino- zeit.deschrieb Joachim Kurz: "With great sensitivity and equally great Fridrik Thor Fridriksson matter of course tells his love story with magical and philosophical elements as a great parable about the meaning of life ." In addition, it was for him "one of the most intriguing and most touching manifestations " of the theatrical year.
The lexicon of the International film said: " Empathetic staged, convincing mock movie as the final part of a trilogy, which does not provide clear answers to the issues raised existential questions, but impressively underlines the issues of the heart must be wrested from life. The naive at first glance, the search for meaning comes up with unsuspected profundity. "
On the Dutch website cuttingedge.be Wim Duysburgh was as touching to see how far these mentally challenged people go to find answers to their questions. Nice country was an entertaining movie, not for " the general public, but rather for those who need a moment of reflection ".
The Danish website cinemazone.dk saw the movie, although its visual aesthetics, but found that " the story unfolds a little too thin ."
Awards
- An award at the Icelandic Edda Film Award for Best Screenplay and was nominated for Best Picture
- A nomination for the Kristallglobues Friðrik Þór Friðriksson at the International Film Festival Karlovy Vary
Publication
After the film had its world premiere on 5 July 2004 celebrated at the International Film Festival Karlovy Vary, was his official Icelandic cinemas on 1 October 2004. In Germany the film was launched on 6 December 2006 in the German cinemas.