Lamb is a suspenseful and artistic film that showcases some great performances. I loved its beautiful cinematography and stunning colour palette. I also found it's themes of parenthood, loss and isolation interesting. At times, I wondered if the makers were commenting on real-world issues such as The Stolen Generation of Indigenous children in Australia.
But, as interesting as the concept was, the storyline just felt a little thin and not enough happened over the 90 minutes. Also, I don't think this film has been categorised correctly. There are a couple of violent scenes, but Lamb doesn't really qualify as a horror in my opinion. Instead, I'd describe it as a 'folk drama'.
Plot summary
Haunted by the indelible mark of loss and silent grief, sad-eyed María and her taciturn husband, Ingvar, seek solace in back-breaking work and the demanding schedule at their sheep farm in the remote, harsh, wind-swept landscapes of mountainous Iceland. Then, with their relationship hanging on by a thread, something unexplainable happens, and just like that, happiness blesses the couple's grim household once more. Now, as a painful ending gives birth to a new beginning, Ingvar's troubled brother, Pétur, arrives at the farmhouse, threatening María and Ingvar's delicate, newfound bliss. But, nature's gifts demand sacrifice. How far are ecstatic María and Ingvar willing to go in the name of love?
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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Artistic and suspenseful with some interesting themes
Strange but not bad.
I wouldn't categorize Lamb as a horror movie, more a mystery drama. In my case I figured out the "mystery" from almost the beginning but still it's worth a watch. It's not fast paced, but it's well filmed and the acting is more than decent. Strange to hear Noomi Rapace speaking Icelandic for the first time in a movie. Strange is also the plot, a bit weird but that doesn't mean bad. It's probably not going to be to everyone's taste but if you have an open mind and like something different you might enjoy this one.
This lamb is definitely undercooked...
"Maria" (Noomi Rapace) and her husband "Ingvar" (Hilmir Snaer Guonason) run a remote farm in Iceland. Lambing season comes and delivers them something rather unexpected (which makes a little more sense of the opening),and soon the couple are rearing something just a little different. The story has something of the "Grendel" folklore to it, and is actually quite interesting. The photography is quite breathtaking at times, but the pace of the film is really very slow and the rather odd interventions of his visiting brother "Petùr" (Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson) start off quite intriguingly, but end up just petering out unremarkably. There is just the one scene that gives us a little about the context of their determination to function as a new family, and there is something eye-for-an-eye about the ending, but the surreality of the whole thing, and the none-too-convincing visual effects all rather compromise this effort. I did quite enjoy it, but it is all just a bit lacklustre.