The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

Tribeca Film Festival 2015

Virgin Mountain

Tribeca Film Festival 2015: Virgin Mountain | Review
27 April 2015
Angela Logan
Avatar
Angela Logan
27 April 2015

Movie and show review

Angela Logan

Virgin Mountain

★★★★★

Links

TwitterFacebookWebsite

Icelandic director Dagur Kari’s latest feature film Virgin Mountain, or Fusi as it’s named in its native Icelandic, is funny, tender, romantic – a refreshing take on the often tired rom-com genre. The story is based around Fusi, the so-called “Virgin Mountain” named due to his size and lack of sexual experience. In his 40s and still living at home with his mother, the quiet monotony of his somewhat depressing life is surprisingly compelling. Gunnar Jonsson, known in Iceland as a comedian, is not the typical leading man, but his performance is subtle, emotional, funny and endearing.

Virgin_Mountain_StillFusi begins the movie as a man-child, an oversized adult who lives with his mother, eats chocolate cereal and plays with figurines and remote control cars. His workplace, devoid of women, is like a school playground; his colleagues bully him emotionally and physically, suggesting that Fusi is not the only man in this story who has had problems maturing. In a bid to get him out of the house, his mother’s boyfriend buys him some line-dancing classes where he meets a young woman, Sjofn. As the story unfolds, Sjofn isn’t as together as she first seems and Fusi isn’t as hapless or as clueless as he initially appears. 

What is essentially a simple and sweet love story tackles issues such as bullying, mental illness, rejection, self esteem and the resilience of the human spirit with sophistication. Fusi may not have many social skills, but his practical skills and perseverance when it comes to love are impressive. Emotive and compelling, despite the quiet tone, it’s extremely heartwarming. The script is concise and smart, the characters are funny, loveable and instantly recognisable, and the ending is satisfying in its unconventionality – highly recommended.

★★★★★

Angela Logan

Virgin Mountain does not yet have a UK release date.

Read more of our reviews and interviews from the festival here.

For further information about Tribeca Film Festival 2015 visit here.

Watch the trailer for Virgin Mountain here:

Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

YouTube privacy policy

If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

Related Items

More in Tribeca Film Festival 2015

Applesauce

★★★★★
Lea Weatherby
Read More

Bridgend

★★★★★
Gareth Lloyd
Read More

Sunrise

★★★★★
Stuart Boyland
Read More

Necktie Youth

★★★★★
Tom Halbert
Read More

Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead

★★★★★
Gioia Kennedy
Read More

(T)Error

★★★★★
Mersa Auda
Read More

Being 14

★★★★★
Mariana Howard
Read More

In Transit

★★★★★
Natasha Furlong
Read More

Thank You for Playing

★★★★★
Mahmud El Shafey
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Movie and show review

Angela Logan

Virgin Mountain

★★★★★

Links

TwitterFacebookWebsite

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Camden Fringe 2022: Rome 3000 (Julius Caesar) at Canal Cafe Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Midsummer Mechanicals at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Luck
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • “The show makes you question, think about things and look into yourself. It speaks to you”: Tom Sturridge and Vivienne Acheampong on The Sandman
    Cinema & Tv
  • Nope
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Eiffel
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • “Theatre is totally unique… there’s simply nothing else quite like it”: An interview with Sir Howard Panter as the new cast of Jersey Boys opens at Trafalgar Theatre
    Theatre
  • Jersey Boys bring on a new cast at Trafalgar Theatre
    Theatre
  • All of Us at the National Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Nope
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Jersey Boys bring on a new cast at Trafalgar Theatre
    Theatre
  • Luck
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • South Facing Festival: Jungle bring their signature neo-funk to Saturday night
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • “Everything that’s happened to me has brought me here”: David Leitch on Bullet Train and working with Brad Pitt
    Cinema & Tv
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Tribeca Film Festival 2015: Democrats | Review
Tribeca Film Festival 2015: Steak (R)evolution | Review