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The Sea

Play trailer Poster for The Sea R Released May 16, 2003 1h 49m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
49% Tomatometer 51 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
In this Icelandic drama, the family of Thordur (Gunnar Eyjolfsson), the wealthy owner of a fishery, reunites, but it's far from a happy gathering. When the patriarch's youngest son, Agust (Hilmir Snaer Gudnason), visits from Paris along with his French girlfriend, Françoise (Hélène de Fougerolles), their presence exacerbates tensions with various relatives, including eldest brother Haraldur (Sigurdur Skulason), who works at the fishery, and his disenchanted wife, Aslaug (Elva Osk Olafsdottir).
The Sea

What to Know

Critics Consensus

This look at a fraught family reunion should be easily relatable, but The Sea drowns viewers in melodrama when it should be carrying them toward darkly comedic shores.

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Critics Reviews

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Marrit Ingman Austin Chronicle Rated: 2/5 Oct 1, 2003 Full Review Eric Henderson Slant Magazine Kormkur is fully content pimping his particular love/hate relationships with the beautiful/harsh landscapes of Iceland in as many different masochistic scenarios as possible. Rated: 1.5/4 Sep 27, 2003 Full Review Lisa Kennedy Denver Post There is something willfully balanced about director- co-writer Baltasar Kormakur's vision of this imploding family. Rated: 2.5/4 Jul 11, 2003 Full Review Bruce Feld Film Journal International Though there are ugly events galore, there is not an ugly frame in this entire masterpiece of a soap opera by the sea. Mar 1, 2007 Full Review Paul Sherman Boston Herald Rated: 2/4 Jul 16, 2005 Full Review Kent Turner Film-Forward.com The confrontational family dinner features archetypes that would have been at home on Dallas. Rated: 2.5/5 Apr 20, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (25) audience reviews
Audience Member eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member This film held my attention, but it takes itself far too seriously. "The Sea" wants to be a dark comedy but is forced to present itself as a melodramatic potboiler. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Now we know what life in Iceland is like. Dysfunctional people live in a hungover fog, perpetual gloom permeates the island which in 2002 was funneling money into financial assets to the neglect of the fishing industry. It was another Cyprus before the crash of 2007. The babes are beautiful but often drunk and the citizens have a high regard for Coca-Cola. It;s kind of a warped travelogue reminiscent of other 'Dystopia' genre films like the Russian '??????? ? ?????????' (Once Upon a Time in the Provinces'). Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Lot of stuff going on, I was able to follow (mostly) but again, not that interesting... Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Kormakur offre ici une sorte de Festen en nettement moins rà (C)ussi. Une rà (C)union de famille va être l'occasion d'un dà (C)ballage sur tous les torts et les travers que celle-ci a connu. Sauf qu'on a face à nous des monstres, ayant commis tous les pires actes. Si l'oeuvre essaie de nous offrir du cynisme, il faut avouer que ça ne fonctionne pas vraiment. Le village doit certainement être composà (C) de dà (C)gà (C)nà (C)rà (C)s consanguins, baisant à gauche à droite. Le fils baise sa demi-soeur. Une des filles a à (C)tà (C) violà (C)e mais c'est une imbà (C)cile d'après son père. Ce dernier ayant baisà (C) la soeur de sa femme, alors que cette dernière à (C)tait mourante. Bref, une jolie famille en quelque sorte... Et la fin n'arrange rien vraiment, pas de sentiments d'amà (C)lioration. On se demande pourquoi Hà (C)lène de Fougerolles est allà (C) dans ce truc, son rôle à (C)tant presque inutile. Seul point positif, l'oeuvre prend comme contexte les quotas de pêche difficiles imposà (C)s par l'Europe, dans un pays où la pêche est à (C)videmment très importante. Un film qui tente de montrer la rupture entre deux gà (C)nà (C)rations, la première à (C)tant ancrà (C)e dans les traditions tandis que l'autre a à (C)voluà (C) avec le capitalisme. Toujours est-il que ça ne fonctionne pas, en cause une galerie de personnages caricaturaux et ratà (C)s, sans humanità (C) ou presque. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Family relations and drama. A different and kind of straight-forward film about a family with the burden of the past, in the changing society. I was a bit disturbed by the cruelty and lack of empathy of the characters. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Sea

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The Sea

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Movie Info

Synopsis In this Icelandic drama, the family of Thordur (Gunnar Eyjolfsson), the wealthy owner of a fishery, reunites, but it's far from a happy gathering. When the patriarch's youngest son, Agust (Hilmir Snaer Gudnason), visits from Paris along with his French girlfriend, Françoise (Hélène de Fougerolles), their presence exacerbates tensions with various relatives, including eldest brother Haraldur (Sigurdur Skulason), who works at the fishery, and his disenchanted wife, Aslaug (Elva Osk Olafsdottir).
Director
Baltasar Kormákur
Producer
Baltasar Kormákur, Jean-François Fonlupt
Screenwriter
Baltasar Kormákur, Olafur Haukur Simonarson
Distributor
Palm Pictures
Rating
R (Language|Sexuality)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Icelandic
Release Date (Theaters)
May 16, 2003, Wide
Release Date (DVD)
May 13, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$62.3K
Runtime
1h 49m
Sound Mix
Surround