Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • 3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)
    • 3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)
    • 3625. Ode To Joy (2019)
    • 3624. One Chance (2013)
    • 3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)
    • 3622. The Polka King (2017)
    • 3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)
    • 3620. Friendzone (2021)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»3026. Mr. Bjarnfreðarson (2009)

    3026. Mr. Bjarnfreðarson (2009)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on July 18, 2020 100-109 mins, 2009, 6 - 7.9, Comedy, Drama, Iceland, Jul 20, Movies Of 2020, Review
    7.8 Hugely funny and heartfelt
    • Acting 7.9
    • Directing 7.7
    • Story 7.7
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Jón Gnarr, Jörundur Ragnarsson, Pétur Johann Sigfússon

    Director: Ragnar Bragarson

    Running Time: 105 mins


    Mr. Bjarnfreðarson is an Icelandic film about the story of former petrol station manager Georg Bjarnfreðarson, and how his unorthodox upbringing made him into the man he is today.

    Feature-length spin-offs of TV shows can be so hard to get right, but Mr. Bjarnfreðarson, which tells the back story of one of the main characters from an Icelandic TV comedy trilogy, is a wonderful exception.

    Funny, heartfelt and engaging throughout, the film takes an established character and adds depth and intrigue to him in leaps and bounds. Meanwhile, the film keeps things on a familiarly small-scale, avoiding the typical mistake of over-dramatising the normal TV format. As a result, Mr. Bjarnfreðarson proves a thoroughly satisfying addition to its televised predecessors.

    There’s no need to worry if you’ve never seen the TV series The Night Shift, The Day Shift and The Prison Shift, because this movie is still a hugely entertaining watch even without prior knowledge of the characters. It eases you into the relationship between the three former petrol station employees, with a focus on the new story of Mr. Bjarnfreðarson’s upbringing.

    As a result, this isn’t just an extended episode of the TV show, but rather a new story that takes a different approach to the same set of characters. In that, there is a familiarity that will please fans of the series, but it also means that there’s something for everyone to enjoy no matter their experience with the characters.

    A staunch Communist with rigid morals yet few friends in the modern world, Georg Bjarnfreðarson is the perfect subject for a feature-length character study, and so proves the case.

    Both poking fun at his comical persona as well as offering a heartfelt insight into how he became the man he is, the film is as hilarious as it is surprisingly touching. Jón Gnarr’s performance is enormously entertaining, with dry comic sensibilities that fit his character perfectly, yet acting convincingly enough for you to really sympathise with Mr. Bjarnfreðarson.

    Couple that with his bizarre yet darkly funny backstory – brought up by an iron-fisted socialist mother – and the film is rich in depth, emotion and humour. It’s more than just a rehash of the character’s most enjoyably idiosyncratic qualities, but story that deepens your understanding of him as a person.

    Paced well throughout and featuring a strong blend of big laughs and deliciously dry wit, Mr. Bjarnfreðarson is a brilliant Scandinavian comedy with international appeal, bolstered by its gripping and heartfelt dramatic depth.

    So, even if you’ve never seen the series that made Mr. Bjarnfreðarson famous, his feature-length debut is an absolute joy, with hilarious comedy and brilliant drama from start to finish. And that’s why I’m giving this film a 7.8 overall.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. Since January 1st, 2013, he has watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    7.1

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    5.3
    January 17, 2022

    3620. Friendzone (2021)

    7.1
    January 10, 2022

    3612. The Lost Daughter (2021)

    8.0
    January 7, 2022

    3609. Licorice Pizza (2021)

    7.2
    January 7, 2022

    3608. Lamb (2021)

    7.4
    December 30, 2021

    3599. The King’s Man (2021)

    6.3
    December 29, 2021

    3598. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

    8.4
    December 28, 2021

    3597. West Side Story (2021)

    6.3
    December 27, 2021

    3596. Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

    Recommended Movies
    8.0
    Review
    August 15, 20130

    254. The Aviator (2004)

    8.4
    Review
    December 14, 20210

    3579. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

    8.4
    Review
    May 9, 20160

    1345. The Gift (2015)

    8.0
    Review
    November 14, 20210

    3547. Coyote Ugly (2000)

    9.2
    Review
    February 1, 20150

    841. Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)

    Popular Posts
    7.1
    January 24, 2022

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8
    January 23, 2022

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9
    January 22, 2022

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    7.4
    January 21, 2022

    3624. One Chance (2013)

    6.3
    January 20, 2022

    3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)

    7.5
    January 19, 2022

    3622. The Polka King (2017)

    6.0
    January 18, 2022

    3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)

    © 2022 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.