Haven't seen it, (not surprising) but did some research in imdb etc.
I didn't think it sounded all that great as although I'm not adverse to a good crime thriller I'd want something a bit more than comparable to an episode of CSI or Taggart. Maybe the review I read doesn't do it justice as there seems to be a Hwood remake set for next year.....Haven't we been here before
Here's the rather bland imdb review I read:
"This is a well made, enjoyable crime thriller that manages to sustain tension and interest throughout its run time and marries this with some well handled comic moments. The main character, Erlunder, is a multi-layered and believable, ageing, seen-it-all-before cop, while the scenes involving discovery of dead bodies are skin-crawlingly well acted and nauseously realistic.
However, given the kind of budgets and talent available to producers of TV crime series these days, Jar City suffers from the fact that the plot really could form an episode of CSI:Rejkjavik or, dare I say it Taggart (a old British crime series). There are no huge surprises or twists in the tail - it is, essentially, a standard, old fashioned who/why dunnit.
However, what sets Jar City apart from CSI and its ilk is the cinematography. Obviously I've seen images of Iceland before - but I've never seen it captured in such a bleak, but beautiful fashion. Iceland itself is centrally important to the character of this film (and might even be said to be one of the characters) and its strangely picturesque scenery and, in some cases, downright weirdness, make Jar City worth watching just for this alone."
On the other hand Andrew Sarris from the New York Observer said:
"For those of us, like me, who know next to nothing about Iceland or the Icelandic cinema, Jar City is an absorbingly revelatory experience, and one of the most mesmerizing movies of the year. "
I found this one on Rotten Tomatoes which had 33 out of 35 good reviews (compared to Show Me Love/Fucking Åmål which had 35 of 39), so I guess it has something good going for it.
If anyone here has seen it they could let us have their opinion. I'm just a bit confused at the moment, I think my brain is rejecting me.