Angels of the Universe

The film `Angels of the Universe' is based on Einar Mar Gudmundsson's novel. The movie reveals the reality that lays hidden to sane persons. The story is based on a man who has a loving and caring family, he has fallen head over heals in love, but when his girlfriend breaks up with him the man starts to lose his sanity. We get to see how the insanity overwhelms the man, which lead the man to be placed in a mental hospital. In the mental hospital he makes friend with three, really interesting patients. The movie gets funny and some point but lives in a dramatic environment.

I recommend this movie to anyone who has decided to take a break from the Hollywood motion pictures and see what unknown directors are capable of.

This movie I've seen many times. I read the book , Englar Alheimsins which was written by Einar Már Guðmundsson who received the Scandinavian book awards for the work. The movie does not start on the same place as the book starts. It happens in Reykjavík and the main character, Páll is young and having a good life with his girlfriend. But as she breaks up the relationship with him, he starts to get some headaches which make him annoyed and angry. And soon he starts to have big mental problems and then the movie begins. Soon he is puted in the Icelandic Mental Hospital called "Kleppur" and there you get to see some great characters like Viktor who thinks he is Hitler and Óli who thinks that he writes all the " The Beatles" songs and sends them to them with mind transporting. Ingvar E Sigurðusson who has the role of the main character Páll does is so work so well that it leaves you breathless. Also the music in this movie is mad by SIGURRÓS and just for the music's cost you should see the movie. Overall a great movie meant to be seen.

Ok, let me start. I´ve seen this movie about a year ago (in a special cycle, since it didn´t arrive on the regular circuit, as most Scandinavian cinema...) & it moved me like very few. It may be somewhat naïve and even simplistic at times, but this adds to its deepness. At the end, I was literally apathic, not wanting to be close to anyone neither to talk. The OST is also truly fabulous - Mr Hilmar Hilmarsson & Sigur Rós have done a truly stunning ambient work, carrying the film to a whole new dimension. In all, this is a uniquely stunning, profoundly depressive and amazingly beautiful movie, from a distant yet so close cinematography, of which I hope to see more (I´d heard of the film years before I actually had the chance to behold it...). So, for all you unshallow souls & admirers of beauty in/ through sadness, this comes as highly advisable (9 in 10, no doubt)piece of Scandinavian moviescapism. I think the only problem with it is the angst which it leaves - which... in what films concerns, is hardly negative. Congratulations to Mr Fridrik Fridriksson & the rest of the Icelandic (wonderful country, btw...) cast. Unique masterpiece.

First at all: If you like watching movies I recommend you NOT to watch this one. Why? Afterwards you won't appreciate any other movie so easily anymore...

Actually I don't wanna give rise to any excessive expectations but it is almost frightening how perfect, intense and beautiful this work of Einar Gudmundsson is. When in most movies there is at least one aspect spoiling the whole thing, like good actors but horrible dialogs or a nice scenery but low budget cinematography – in „Angels of the Universe" there is nothing of this ambivalence. Really everything is just great, even (and not least) the soundtrack with the magnificent Sigur Rós.

In this story about Pall, a student that goes schizophrenic after being dumped by his girlfriend, especially the dialogs (and monologues) deserve some attention: together with (and sometimes in sharp contrast to) the plot they range from depressing and fatalistic to the whole opposite of comical and totally absurd. What is more, they are often (with quotes from Hegel and Shakespeare) of such a poetic beauty that the movie almost drifts into a surreal sphere and is only saved to the real world by its incredibly authentic actors.

One of the other comments was already referring to another point: This movie is no trivial entertainment for relaxing in the evening. Despite of several comical reliefs in between it is largely disturbing, partly cynical and bitter, and most of all sad. It is a modern poetry about a life of insanity with all its emptiness, rage and solitude.

Finally: When you've seen the movie – watch it again. There are some great visual metaphors and allusions in it that you realize only when you look twice and connect them with the „moral of the story". And of course: read the book, it contains a lot more of the small funny stories in between and also makes you understand some things in the movie a bit better.

As far as I know this was my first experience with Icelandic movies. It's such a relief to see something else than your regular Hollywood motion picture. Too bad that movies like this one have a small chance of succeeding in the big world. I can only hope that people watch this by accident, by recommendation or other...

Because it's really worth while. I left the cinema feeling really sad. I couldn't get the tragic destiny's of the characters out of my head. And it impressed me even more when I thought of the complexity of the film. Not only was it a tragic story, it had excellent comic reliefs and a very good soundtrack.

If you have the opportunity, watch it! It's really thought provoking and made me ponder a lot.