In 'Land Ho!', Mitch (Earl Lynn Nelson),a retired American surgeon who smokes pot and who calls women 'broads', inveigles his staider Australian former brother-in-law Colin (Paul Eenhoorn, who has the kind of familiar face that will have you thinking "Oh, wasn't he in... that thing... with the thing?") into taking a trip to Iceland, where the pair drive around in a massive car and have conversations. And that is about it as far as the plot goes.

Judging by the naturalistic style of speaking (repeats, pauses etc),a lot of the conversation is ad-libbed. This doesn't work so well when other characters are involved - the segment where the retirees spend time with two much younger women is especially trying, largely because Karrie Crouse delivers her lines in such a drawling monotone the viewer has to resist the urge to yell at the screen "WAKE UP, WOMAN!" But when sharing the screen with nobody but each other, Nelson and Eenhoorn well convey the easy rapport between two men who have known each other for decades. I like the fact that the film avoids the big revelation so common in this sort of production (I was braced for one of the men to announce "This is going to be my last trip - the doctors have given me six months" or similar, but it didn't happen). The film does end rather abruptly, though.

What is very apparent is the amount of product-placement: the shot of an Icelandair 'plane, the close-ups of Lonely Planet's Iceland guidebook, the mention of a real-life Reykjavík restaurant called 'Dill'. Not to mention the Icelandic scenery, lovingly shown in all its bleak interestingness. Unfortunately the 2014 London Film Festival showing I attended cut the credits (grr!) so I don't know whether Icelandair, Lonely Planet, Dill and/or the Icelandic Ministry of Tourism actually *did* sponsor the film; if they did, it would be interesting to know what came first: the idea for the film, or the sponsorship?

Greetings again from the darkness. Extra credit goes to the writer/director team of Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz for their indie spirit and unique character-driven adventure - a rare Iceland based comedy. The former Film School classmates bring color of personality and color of terrain to the forefront.

Mitch (Earl Lynn Nelson) and Colin (Paul Eenhoorn) are former brothers-in-law, once married to sisters. The polar opposites are each battling loneliness and aging, and Mitch (the gregarious one) basically forces Colin (the reserved one) into a spontaneous vacation with him to Iceland. After this, we watch what amounts to a an AARP Road Trip Buddy film.

Mitch's bravura masks his loss of purpose and fear of mortality, while Colin mostly just shakes his head at each vulgar thought spoken without filter by Mitch. Despite the obvious differences in personality, the two come across as real guys soaking up the adventure. While Colin enjoys his solo hike that ends with a dip in the hot springs, Mitch sips his scotch while pestering a honeymooning couple (one of which is played by well known cinematographer Ben Kasulke) with questions about their private time in the room. He means no harm, he just thrives on fun ... whether it's his or someone else's.

Mitch and Colin have a definite on screen connection, and what makes this fascinating is that while Paul Eenhoorn is an established Australian actor, Earl Lynn Nelson is a real life retired surgeon who has only recently begun acting. Mr. Nelson's comfort in front of the camera is obvious whether he is telling his much younger cousin she has a "hot ass", or toking on weed at the hotel. Many long time actors would have struggled in this role, but Nelson ... while not always likable, leaves no doubt about his search for fun.

Other than the two lead actors, the landscape of Iceland is a key to the look and feel of the film. The panoramas are beautifully filmed, and if somehow a few people actually see the film, it would not be surprising is Iceland tourism spikes. Though the film offers no life lessons, and offers little in defense of "getting old sucks", this little senior citizen character study is a worthy entry into the "gray cinema" genre.

Land Ho! is the end product of a collaboration between indie co-directors Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz. It's a road movie about two ex-brothers-in-law who travel to Iceland on vacation in order to reinvigorate their lives after retirement. Mitch (Earl Lynn Nelson),a Kentucky surgeon, re-connects with Colin (Paul Eenhoorn),who long ago played French horn in an orchestra but later became a bank manager as well as internet entrepreneur with his ex-wife.

The back story as to their mild estrangement is not important, but one gets the impression that it's Mitch (who pays for the trip) is attempting to cheer Colin up, following his divorce from his second wife. As it turns out, however, we later discover that Mitch has ulterior motives—that in fact, he too needs cheering up, as he's also having trouble dealing with retirement.

Of the two characters, Mitch is the aggressive one, with Colin playing the passive 'straight man'. Some viewers may find Mitch's personality a bit grating as his comments are often fraught with crude sexual allusions (sometimes directly made toward women). When Colin mentions that he'd like to see an Icelandic lighthouse, Mitch remarks that lighthouses remind him of an erect 'cock' without the 'balls'. Colin, on the other hand, comes off as shy and perhaps slightly depressed. Nonetheless there's good chemistry between the two and Mitch, despite the intermittent vulgarity, has a kind side as well.

After Mitch and Colin arrive in Iceland, they drive around in a rented Humvee and see the sights. Occasionally, outside characters intrude breaking up the monotony of their often long-winded but occasionally charming conversations (Mitch sticks to his emphasis on sex; for Colin it's more about the movies he likes). Early on, the two meet up with Mitch's cousin (once removed) and her friend, two Ph.D. students, who just happen to be traveling to Reykjavík , following a stopover in Greenland. The meeting culminates in Mitch's cousin ending up passing out after drinking too much at a local disco.

There isn't much more to tell about 'Land ho!' The high point of any conflict between the principals occurs after Mitch convinces Colin to join him taking a midnight stroll on the barren tundra without flashlights, with Colin ending up expressing his frustration with Mitch, who he regards as pushy and self-absorbed. There is very little developed here in terms of a plot that has any tension or characters with any developed or discernible arcs.

While both Mitch and Colin are in Iceland to get their "groove back," aside from that, the stakes aren't high enough to suggest anything more than a pleasant, road movie, where nothing leads to any kind of memorable climax. Perhaps the real star of 'Land Ho!' is the beautiful, Icelandic countryside, filmed in high relief, on two expensive digital Red One cameras!