After the addictive pleasures of Nordic noir, brace yourself for the heart-in-mouth thrills of the first Scandinavian disaster movie!
Norwegian director Roar Uthaug proves more than a match for his Hollywood counterparts with The Wave (Bølgen), briskly and skilfully placing all his pieces on the board – including the idyllic, soon-to-be imperilled setting and the rugged hero who spots impending disaster before anyone else - and then hitting all the beats of the disaster movie genre with admirable aplomb.
Here's what's in store. Geologist Kristian Eikford (Kristoffer Joner) is due to leave his job at a mountain early warning centre to take up a well-paid post with an oil company in the city. And he’s on the brink of departing with his wife (Ane Dahl Torp) and kids when he detects signs that a giant rockfall is imminent. If it occurs, the residents of the tourist town of Geiranger, nestling in a valley at the tip of a spectacular fjord, will have 10 minutes to reach higher ground before their home is engulfed by an 80ft tsunami.
Prepare to set your stopwatch!
The Wave (Bølgen) screens tonight at 9.15pm at the Vue Leicester Square, and at 6.30pm at the Vue Islington on Friday 16th and at 8.45pm at the Curzon Soho on Sunday 18th October.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUyFU7y7c-g
