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''Reykjavík-Rotterdam'' is a 2008 Icelandic film directed by
Óskar Jónasson Óskar Jónasson (born 30 June 1963) is an Icelandic film director and screenwriter. His film ''Remote Control'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. His most recent film '' Reykjavík-Rotterdam'' won ...
and starring
Baltasar Kormákur Baltasar Kormákur Baltasarsson (born 27 February 1966) is an Icelandic actor, theater and film director, and film producer. He is best known for directing the films ''101 Reykjavík'', ''The Sea'', '' A Little Trip to Heaven'', ''Contraband'', ...
. A Hollywood remake titled ''
Contraband Contraband (from Medieval French ''contrebande'' "smuggling") refers to any item that, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold. It is used for goods that by their nature are considered too dangerous or offensive in the eyes o ...
'' starring
Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, thre ...
was released in 2012.


Plot synopsis

Kristofer is working as a
security guard A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) from a variety ...
. He was fired from the freight ship on which he worked when he was caught smuggling
alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...
. Faced with money problems, he is tempted to accept the help of his friend, Steingrimur, who manages to pull some strings to get his old job back aboard the ''MV Dettifoss''. He decides to take his chances one last time on a tour to
Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
to bring alcohol back on the return journey to Iceland. While in Rotterdam, his brother-in-law Arnor steals the money intended for the alcohol purchase, and buys
ecstasy Ecstasy may refer to: * Ecstasy (emotion), a trance or trance-like state in which a person transcends normal consciousness * Religious ecstasy, a state of consciousness, visions or absolute euphoria * Ecstasy (philosophy), to be or stand outside o ...
with it. The alcohol sellers force Kristofer to take part in a violent art theft; he escapes in the confusion during a shootout with the police. Meanwhile, back in Iceland, Kristofer's wife Iris is threatened by three men, who trash her flat and then her place of work. She accepts Steingrimur's offer to stay with him until Kristofer returns. Steingrimur, with whom she was once involved, tries to seduce her, and as she tries to escape, he knocks her unconscious and, thinking that he has killed her, attempts to dispose of her body. The ''Dettifoss'' returns. Customs search the vessel, but no contraband is found. Arnor believes that Kristofer has thrown the ecstasy and the alcohol overboard and attempts to escape from the gangsters expecting the consignment. Kristofer has planted the ecstasy in the car of the captain of the ''Dettifoss'', and sets up the gangsters to be intercepted at the captain's house. Iris survived Steingrimur's attack, and Kristofer locates her just as Steingrimur is attempting to bury her in concrete at the construction site he works at. Out at sea, Kristofer's friends locate the alcohol.


Release

The film was released on 3 October 2008. It was broadcast (dubbed in German) on German television ARD on 1 January 2010.


Reception

''Reykjavík-Rotterdam'' was one of the biggest-budget Icelandic films of all-time, and features an all-star cast of Icelandic cinema. The film garnered a four-star rating from ''
Morgunblaðið ''Morgunblaðið'' (, ''The Morning Paper'') is an Icelandic newspaper. ''Morgunblaðið''s website, mbl.is, is the most popular website in Iceland. History ''Morgunblaðið'' was founded by Vilhjálmur Finsen and Ólafur Björnsson, brother of ...
'', and has a rating of 45% at Rottentomatoes.com. The film won five
Edda Award The Edda Award is an accolade bestowed annually by the Icelandic Film and Television Academy, and is the most prominent film and television award in Iceland, awarded annually in February. The ''Edda'' has awarded for outstanding work in various ca ...
s, including best script, director, editing, sound, and music: * Director of the year –
Óskar Jónasson Óskar Jónasson (born 30 June 1963) is an Icelandic film director and screenwriter. His film ''Remote Control'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. His most recent film '' Reykjavík-Rotterdam'' won ...
* Screenplay of the year –
Arnaldur Indriðason Arnaldur Indriðason (pronounced ; born 28 January 1961) is an Icelandic writer of crime fiction; his most popular series features the protagonist Detective Erlendur. Biography Arnaldur was born in Reykjavík on 28 January 1961, the son ...
and Óskar Jónasson * Editor of the year – Elísabet Rónaldsdóttir * Sound design of the year – Kjartan Kjartansson and Ingvar Lundberg * Achievement in music for film or television –
Barði Jóhannsson Barði Jóhannsson (born 10 September 1975) is an Icelandic musician, composer, writer, TV show host (of the surrealist Icelandic TV show ''Konfekt''), clothing designer and film director. He is mostly known for his work with the groups Bang G ...
An Icelandic Film and Television Academy committee chose ''Reykjavík-Rotterdam'' to be Iceland's submission to the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...
for the 82nd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, though it failed to receive an Oscar nomination. ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', after a 2010 screening at the
Palm Springs International Film Festival Palm Springs International Film Festival (sometimes stylized shortly as PSIFF) is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. Originally promoted by Mayor Sonny Bono and then sponsored by Nortel,here for Table of Contents it started in 1989 ...
called it a "straightforward product from much of the team behind Baltasar Kormákur's considerably more eccentric ''
Jar City ''Jar City'', also known as ''Tainted Blood'' ('' Icelandic: Mýrin'', "The Bog") (), is a crime novel by Icelandic author Arnaldur Indriðason, first published in Iceland in 2000. It was the first in the Detective Erlendur series to be translat ...
''" and an "uncommonly commercial item with brawny action, strokes of humor and a besieged rooting interest (played effectively by Kormákur)."


Hollywood remake

Working Title Films Working Title Films is a British film studio that produces motion pictures and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a division of Comcast. The company was founded by Ti ...
released a U.S. remake entitled ''
Contraband Contraband (from Medieval French ''contrebande'' "smuggling") refers to any item that, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold. It is used for goods that by their nature are considered too dangerous or offensive in the eyes o ...
'' starring and produced by
Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, thre ...
. The original film's lead actor, Baltasar Kormákur, directed the film.


References


External links

* from Blueeyes Productions in co-production with Rotterdam Films *
Rotterdam films

Film Festival Rotterdam
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reykjavik-Rotterdam Works about the illegal drug trade Drugs in the Netherlands Drugs in Iceland 2008 films Icelandic thriller films Police detective films 2000s thriller films Films set in Iceland Films set in the Netherlands Films directed by Óskar Jónasson Films set in Rotterdam Films about organized crime in the Netherlands 2000s Icelandic-language films