Undir trénu (2017)

	Also Known As: Under the tree, Unter dem Baum
	Year of first release: 2017
	Director: Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson
	Actors: Lára Jóhanna Jónsdóttir, Steinthór Hróar Steinthórsson
	Country: ISL, PL, DK, D
	Genre: Black Comedy, Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 04.11.2017, CineStar3, NFDL2017, Icelandic with English subtitle
Synopsis: Agnes (Jónsdóttir) throws Atli (Steinthórsson) out and does not want him to see their daughter Ása anymore. He moves in with his parents, who are involved in a bitter dispute over their big and beautiful tree that casts a shadow on the neighbours' deck. As Atli fights for the right to see his daughter, the dispute with the neighbours intensifies - property is damaged, pets mysteriously go missing, security cameras are being installed and there is a rumor that the neighbor was seen with a chainsaw.
Review: Common neighbor clash blows out of proportion due to rivalry between both women until a big drama happens that is indeed shocking. The initial story about separation Agnes and Atli is interrupted and will never be continued. So why has it been introduced during that long? There is a series of excellent ideas with a very creative black humour. Each scene has something really fun and great to me. Unfortunately these are not related fully. There is no unity in the storyline apart from the escalation of the neighbour dispute. Especially the splatter conclusion is very surprising but does not bring much to the story. The acting of the elderly is really good! The cold behaviour with the neighbour. The cold behaviour within the couples. The submission of men to the women's will. All the nuances that I know from old couples of my family and others. These are perfectly acted. I liked the lights and image composition for all the shots where the crimes are presented. The surveillance camera after installation looks like from a catalogue. And this enhances the funny cold of the rest of the story.
Rating: 7 /10