User Reviews

I have had a chance to see L'Iceberg on the Debut Film Festival in Zagreb, where I live. I was reluctant to see it at first, but when I did, it completely blew my mind - the acting, the directing, the writing, the cinematography - perfect! Basically, it is a story of a family woman, Fiona (Fiona Gordon, who works in a fast-food restaurant. One day, before returning home to her estranged husband Julien (Dominique Abel), she gets accidentally locked in the restaurant's room-sized freezer. Even though she survives, she develops a strange affection - one may say addiction - for ice and cold. Once she returns home, she sees a TV documentary about an iceberg (hence the title) on the far north and attempts to reach it, no matter what. In her pursuit of her cold goal, she elopes into a small village on the north of Belgium, where she tries to convince a deaf-mute sailor, Rene (Philippe Martz), to take to the iceberg. Her husband follows her and tries to convince her to return to her family, but she refuses and goes on the trip with Rene. But, what she doesn't know is that her husband has hidden himself aboard Rene's boat, which is *so* aptly named Titanic...

The film is a series of static shots, each one crafted so perfectly in every aspect. Each of the shots contains its own gag, which are mostly slapstick, and at other times very subtle jokes concerning family life, village folk and people's habits. Every shot is also fascinatingly choreographed and photographed, which makes the audience feel like they are watching a painting come to life. There is only one moving shot in the entire film - a panning shot of the boat with all three main characters on it.

On top of all that, the film is extremely funny, and I think everybody could find something for them in it - whether it is slapstick, parody, absurd or simply surrealism (Like the shot of Julien watching a huge ocean-liner sailing less than ten feet from their boat, which the other two characters don't notice). In simpler terms, a cross between Charles Chaplin, Jacques Tati and Monty Python.

10 out of 10, a must-see!

I've seen one other project from this couple, 'Rumba.' I liked it, but this one seems so much better, less cute and choreographed.

All storytelling is about abstraction. Sometimes that can be done in ways that by agreement, we see as invisible. We think of the result as visible 'reality.' But at other times the reduction is obvious, so becomes a part of the conveyance. In such cases, there is the opportunity to purify and concentrate. Chaplin could do it; few others since.

Fiona Gordon can. She has created a character and style that has several advantages. The story has a simple grand arc, but is essentially episodic, with discrete scenes shot with a static camera. Each is carefully staged and always has a gag. So you get the feeling that the story is not in what happens in the large, but what is happening right now. You never wonder where the thing is going; instead you lean closer in your chair to enjoy what you get now.

She is every bit the physical genius that Chaplin was. She's created a gaunt, redheaded, buxom, nerdy, accident-prone woman. She's just enough outside normal film character templates to seem human, without inducing (at least in this male viewer) conditioned responses. The placement is a considerable achievement even before the story is delivered.

That overall story is one of the least important elements, but deserves a remark. What Fiona's character does on screen is experience a frigid night, being locked away in a restaurant freezer. This is indirectly linked to her home life. (Her family never missed her.)

She runs away — partly by accident — and decides to enlist a man in taking her to an iceberg on his small sailboat. Her husband follows. I greatly appreciate that the metaphor of cold emotional distance is not ground into our face, but that it is there and conveyed by quite indirect means, in the framing and character movements.

I saw this with another French-influenced film: 'Rubber.' The difference could not be more obvious. Here is a collection of novel techniques, subtly coordinated that if you let them will affect you for weeks. The understatement allows power. 'Rubber' was all clear, overstated, overtly clever and wholly unengaging.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

It was a very lovely and fun movie as well as other movies of Fiona Gordon and Dominique Abel. Acting was great and cinematography was exceptional. The minimalistic scenes, colors, details and the places were enchanting. Throughly, it was a simple yet enjoyable movie. However, I think the character portrayed by Dominique Abel was pretty annoying. The insistent, "obsessive male" is a sexist cliché. It is very easy to spot them in almost every Hollywood movie. I like their work because they are different and original. Even though the plot was different and original, the portrayal of the characters was not. But generally, I am glad I watched L'iceberg.