The Pundit

A Little Trip To Heaven

By Seb Fowler ⋅ August 6, 2006 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Tightly directed by Baltasar Korme?kur, A Little Trip to Heaven is an intriguing mystery full of suspense. While carrying out his investigations in the desolate town of North Hastings, insurance agent Abe (Forest Whitaker) gets to know the sole claimant Isold (Julia Stiles) and her son Thor (Alfred Harmsworth).

The desolate, grimy landscape is captured beautifully. Filmed in Iceland but set in Northern USA, the harsh, bleak environment has its part to play in proceedings. Although set in the 1980s, this film could easily have taken place in the present, given the backwards rural town where the story takes place, and the enduring theme of an insurance company with questionable ethics. The film might have been more powerful if set in the present, but plot wise it would have been able to get away with less.

While A Little Trip To Heaven is well written with strong characters and touches of humour, certain plot elements don’t add up. Some great performances assist in outweighing such discrepancies. Forest Whitaker gives a lovely and subtle performance. Despite the ruthless nature of his job, he manages to bring warmth to the role. Julia Stiles is strong as the troubled Isold, and Jeremy Renner is quietly threatening as Fred.

Comparisons to the Coen brothers’ Fargo are well-founded, from the black humour, desperation and harsh environment, down to the accent Whitaker employs as the affable Abe. Fans of black comedy, a good thriller, or Film Noir should leave satisfied.

The preceding short, The Last Farm (directed by Runar Runarsson) is a beautiful, dark film about an elderly farmer who is facing the retirement home and dealing with his wife and family. Magnificent Icelandic scenery, meticulous direction and a grim plot made this a fitting companion piece to A Little Trip to Heaven.