Movie Notes: Aberdeen
= 4 stars
Starring Lena Headey, Stellan Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling
Directed by Hans Petter Moland
Synopsis
Unruly Scot Kaisa (Lena Headey) must transport her alcoholic father Tomas (Stellan Skarsgard) to the hospital to visit her dying mother mother Helen (Charlotte Rampling).
The Good
- Tackles alcoholism and its aftermath head on through Tomas and his destroyed relationship with his daughter — Kaisa’s uncaring, rebellious personality is surely a direct result of the absent father. But Tomas eventually comes to understand this and chooses to sober up and take responsibility — in a way I didn’t see coming.
- It also works as an extremely darkly humorous road picture — but instead of John Candy there’s a drunk that throws up on your miniskirt, forcing you to run naked into an freezing lake.
- The whole film rides on Headey and Skarsgard, and they deliver.
The Bad
- Due to the heavy subject matter, it’s definitely not something to kick back and relax to.
- Rather plodding pace — took me two installments. But as with many indie films, this one improved immensely as it weaved on.
Conclusion
If you can handle the at times distasteful subject matter of alcoholism, I’d recommend Aberdeen. It’s a powerful character study, straight up, no chaser.
IMDB: Aberdeen
Wikipedia: Aberdeen
Rotten Tomatoes: Aberdeen 87%