The Sea

R

Released May 16, 2003

1h 49m

Drama

List

49%

51 Reviews

Tomatometer

64%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

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).

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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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Audience Member

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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

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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

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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

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Audience Member

Kormakur offre ici une sorte de Festen en nettement moins rÃ (C)ussi. Une rÃ (C)union de famille va Ãªtre l'occasion d'un dÃ (C)ballage sur tous les torts et les travers que celle-ci a connu. Sauf qu'on a face Ã nous des monstres, ayant commis tous les pires actes. Si l'oeuvre essaie de nous offrir du cynisme, il faut avouer que Ã§a ne fonctionne pas vraiment. Le village doit certainement Ãªtre composÃ (C) de dÃ (C)gÃ (C)nÃ (C)rÃ (C)s consanguins, baisant Ã gauche Ã droite. Le fils baise sa demi-soeur. Une des filles a Ã (C)tÃ (C) violÃ (C)e mais c'est une imbÃ (C)cile d'aprÃ¨s son pÃ¨re. Ce dernier ayant baisÃ (C) la soeur de sa femme, alors que cette derniÃ¨re Ã (C)tait mourante. Bref, une jolie famille en quelque sorte... Et la fin n'arrange rien vraiment, pas de sentiments d'amÃ (C)lioration. On se demande pourquoi HÃ (C)lÃ¨ne de Fougerolles est allÃ (C) dans ce truc, son rÃ´le Ã (C)tant presque inutile. Seul point positif, l'oeuvre prend comme contexte les quotas de pÃªche difficiles imposÃ (C)s par l'Europe, dans un pays oÃ¹ la pÃªche est Ã (C)videmment trÃ¨s importante. Un film qui tente de montrer la rupture entre deux gÃ (C)nÃ (C)rations, la premiÃ¨re Ã (C)tant ancrÃ (C)e dans les traditions tandis que l'autre a Ã (C)voluÃ (C) avec le capitalisme. Toujours est-il que Ã§a ne fonctionne pas, en cause une galerie de personnages caricaturaux et ratÃ (C)s, sans humanitÃ (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

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Baltasar Kormákur

Director

Gunnar Eyjolfsson

Þórður

Hilmir Snær Guðnason

Ágúst

Hélène de Fougerolles

Françoise

Kristbjörg Kjeld

Kristín

Herdis Thorvaldsdottir

Kata

Show Less Cast & Crew

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91%

87%

Saraband

85%

88%

The Silence

92%

81%

After the Rehearsal

93%

90%

Open Hearts

80%

86%

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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

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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
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